Breakthrough Fusion Solutions from NT-Tao Offer Clean Energy

In the quest for truly clean, safe, and optimally efficient energy production, there is still some controversy about the role and the practicality of nuclear fusion.

My home state of Maryland has successfully and safely used established nuclear fission technology to help us with our energy needs. So far, our nuclear plants have proven safer than the coal plants in our state. Still, there are inevitably concerns about radioactive waste, and the real, while miniscule, risk of meltdown or runaway chain reactions. However, new emerging nuclear fusion technologies, developed in Israel and elsewhere, raise the safety bar significantly higher, and hold the potential to produce cheaper, more efficient energy with a sustainable and almost endless source of fuel.

NT-Tao is Israel’s first nuclear energy company. Its goal is to democratize clean energy worldwide by delivering limitless energy with its breakthrough compact fusion technology. Working with US partners, NT-Tao is developing a first-in-class nuclear fusion technology that has the potential to enable the world to transition towards a cleaner, decarbonized, sustainable, and more equitable future.

Thanks to the Israeli investment group OurCrowd, which has a team focused on climate-focused solutions, I got to find out more about these exciting new technologies from Rear Admiral (ret.) Oded Gour-Lavie who is the CEO and Co-founder of NT-Tao.

Rear Admiral (ret.) Oded Gour-Lavie, CEO and co-founder of NT-Tao. Photo by Yariv Weinberg Simanim and courtesy of NT-Tao.

Prior to NT-Tao, Oded served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 30 years, with a very impressive set of achievements. Earlier, Oded graduated cum laude in electrical engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, received his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and spent a year as a visiting fellow at MIT Sloan School of Management, combined with studies at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC).

My interview with Gour-Lavie raises some important technical aspects of fusion technology which he breaks down into relatively simple concepts for better understanding. Given that for many years, the grand promises of fusion energy have at times been based on fake science or false hopes, a clear explanation of the basic concepts and details behind the technology is essential for people to understand the benefits and process of what NT-TAO doing. It’s pretty darn exciting!

JLM: What is the specific problem that you/your company is trying to solve?

Rear Admiral (ret.) Oded Gour-Lavie: Humanity is currently facing two immense and interrelated challenges: the unabating and exponential increase in demand for energy and the ongoing climate crisis. NT-Tao is seeking to address both of these simultaneously by creating a fully operational, abundant clean energy source. We are striving to move the energy industry beyond stopgap solutions such as solar and wind power which do not have the capacity and reliance for base load electricity, and shape the future of clean energy with nuclear fusion.

Our goal is to provide a compact and scalable fusion energy solution, enabling the world to transition from traditional energy sources like oil, gas, and coal towards fusion – the cleanest, most sustainable source available. By leading this transition, we aim to secure a decarbonized future, to safeguard the environment, ensure widespread energy security, and solve a key component of geopolitical instability.

How do you solve it?

NT-Tao is pioneering a compact and scalable nuclear fusion solution, aimed at significantly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and overcoming the limitations of existing renewable energy sources. Leveraging the strengths of both tokamak and stellarator technologies (two competing approaches used in nuclear fusion research to confine plasma within magnetic fields in order to facilitate the fusion reactions), NT-Tao has developed the Genesis Fusion Reactor and are currently working on our series C prototype.

Our unique approach includes a proprietary magnetic chamber topology that dramatically reduces energy loss and effectively maintains core temperature, enabling the creation of a Super Stabilized Confined Plasma. Additionally, NT-Tao’s power supply technology is expected to enable plasma heating at densities orders of magnitude higher than other approaches. This, coupled with our significantly reduced pulse length, leads to an astounding increase in the rate of ion collisions, yielding greater overall efficiency which results in a much smaller footprint.

NT-Tao’s Genesis Fusion Reactor, with its compact design – the size of a shipping container – will be scalable and easily integrated into a multitude of settings and power requirements. Its versatile design will make our solution adaptable for everything from industrial facilities to small towns and off-grid locations once it’s commercialized.

Why is solving this problem important to you? Why should others care?

Solving the energy challenge is of utmost importance to us at NT-Tao. As a retired admiral in the Israeli Navy with a background in national security and electrical engineering, I recognize the critical role energy plays in global security and individual well-being. I am driven by the desire to create a climate-responsible future that enhances both.

Fusion is the ultimate energy solution that will revolutionize the world. While not all companies may succeed in commercializing fusion, the industry itself is inevitable and game changing. The urgency to address climate change, energy security, and global well-being has never been more pressing. Fusion energy has the potential to provide clean, abundant energy for all, solving water problems, enabling habitable areas, and ensuring food security globally.

By pursuing fusion, we are working towards a sustainable energy future that benefits everyone, empowering communities, and resolving critical challenges facing humanity. This is why solving this problem matters, and it should matter to all who seek a brighter, more secure, and sustainable future.

What proof/studies show that your solution has potential/works?

NT-Tao is actively conducting studies to demonstrate the potential and effectiveness of our solution. Our next series C prototype has been constructed and is integrated with stronger power supplies and enhanced confinement. We are currently validating temperature increases through advanced measuring and diagnostic equipment.

How do you go about doing this?

NT-Tao’s system is relatively small which enables us to conduct quick experimental validation. In addition, with the help of professors at Princeton University as well as experts in Israel regarding simulations and diagnostic instruments, we hope to have initial third-party validation of our results in the near future.

What have been some of your biggest successes?

NT-Tao’s successes in validating the energy-coupling efficiency and advancing the performance of its prototypes are crucial steps in the quest for sustainable, clean energy. By achieving an impressive efficiency of over 32% in prototype A and further improving performance in prototype B with a stronger power supply, NT-Tao showcases its ability to optimize energy transfer and enhance overall system efficiency.

The quick and successful construction of prototype C-1 is an important achievement that will enable the demonstration and integration of critical components of the Genesis reactor. This is one of many milestones on our path towards an operational and commercialized system.

With any start up, there are times when you hit brick wall. Can you give us an example of that and how you pivoted to do something that worked better?

During the initial years of our experimentation with previous fusion reactor models, we successfully attained high temperatures and neutron outputs. However, we also identified constraints in plasma density which prevented us from reaching our desired optimal high-density plasma state. We have since modified the magnetic topology in a manner that greatly improved our method, resulting in strong energy coupling to the plasma and enhanced confinement that can function at significantly higher densities.

As you move ahead, are you looking for partners? Where and how can others help?

We are always looking for new partners and are proud of our recently announced partnership with Princeton’s Andlinger Center for Energy. They are leaders in sustainable energy solutions and we look forward to collaborating with them on simulations and diagnostics. We also recently announced that NT-Tao qualified for grants from the Israeli Innovation Authority to work with Princeton University, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), and with the Technion ‒ Israeli Institute of Technology. We are in discussions with other key stakeholders around the world in the fusion industry and, as the only fusion energy startup in the Middle East, there are other regional partnerships that are being pursued.

We are also looking at partnering with industry leaders for sectors that will undoubtedly benefit from nuclear fusion energy. For example, we partnered with Honda who is a strategic investor in NT-Tao and who became the first mobility company to invest in fusion. Honda recognizes the importance of nuclear fusion for a truly clean and sustainable mobility future. Once fusion energy is commercially viable, there will be a number of real-life applications for the mobility sector. Namely, fusion will be able to power EV charging stations almost anywhere without the need for grid connection, generate electricity for homes and businesses, desalinate seawater, produce high-quality materials for a variety of applications, propel spacecraft and much more.

What is your advice for other people who are just getting their start on climate issues?

I believe that it’s never too late to start on a new innovation, especially when it comes to climate. When we started NT-Tao in 2016 there were already many other players ahead of us in the fusion energy space. But we knew we had a novel approach to fusion that nobody else was trying. The climate crisis needs all hands on deck, and if you have an idea, find the right people to work with you and the investors will find you.

If folks want to know more about your company, how where can they find information or connect?

Our website is https://www.nt-tao.com/ and you can find us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/nt-tao.