If fusion power pans out, the world may need a lot more lithium-6, say experts. Startup Licube is betting on this by purifying the rare isotope from naturally occurring lithium for use in fusion plants.
The challenge lies in the fuel supply. Most planned fusion plants would run on deuterium and tritium, with tritium being scarce, but Licube is developing technology to produce tritium on-site, streamlining the process and making fusion a more viable option.
Yohei Kiguchi, Licube's co-founder and CEO, sees a $50 billion market by 2040 if fusion becomes a reality, but the company also plans to use its technology in other industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, fission reactors, and even spacecraft.
The core technology behind Licube's process is based on an electrolyzer, which uses electrical current to dissolve lithium in a liquid and separate lithium-6, enriching it to at least 99.995% for use in fusion fuel breeding systems.
Kiguchi, inspired by a visit to the ITER fusion reactor in France, is determined to make a significant impact in the energy sector, despite being too young to retire.
