Licube aims to supply lithium-6 for fusion power industry

Licube, a startup, is developing technology to purify lithium-6, a critical component for the future fusion power industry. The company has licensed its core technology from Hirosaki University in Japan. Fusion power plants are expected to rely on a mix of deuterium and tritium as fuel. While deuterium is abundant, tritium is rare and difficult to obtain naturally. The proposed solution involves using lithium to breed tritium within the fusion reactor itself. When neutrons from the fusion reaction strike lithium atoms, they can produce tritium. However, lithium exists in two isotopes, lithium-6 and lithium-7, with lithium-6 being far more effective at capturing neutrons. Lithium-6 constitutes only about 7.5% of natural lithium, and current separation capacity is limited.

Licube aims to address this scarcity by purifying lithium to at least 99.995% lithium-6. Yohei Kiguchi, co-founder and CEO of Licube, estimates that the fusion fuel market could reach $50 billion by 2040 if fusion power becomes a reality. The company's technology is based on an electrolyzer that uses electrical current to drive chemical reactions across a ceramic membrane, allowing for the separation of lithium-6. Until fusion power plants are operational, Licube plans to utilize its purification technology for other industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, fission reactors, and spacecraft. Kiguchi was inspired to start Licube after visiting the ITER experimental fusion reactor in France.