Licube wants to be the fuel provider to the fusion power industry — see how at TechCrunch Disrupt

techcrunch.com Oct 13, 2026

Licube wants to be the fuel provider to the fusion power industry — see how at TechCrunch Disrupt

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Licube, a San Francisco‑based startup, has licensed technology from Hirosaki University to separate lithium‑6 from natural lithium, a critical step for future fusion power plants that rely on tritium breeding. The company’s electrolyzer uses a ceramic membrane to enrich lithium‑6 to 99.995%, enabling fusion reactors to produce their own tritium via neutron capture. Licube estimates a $50 billion market by 2040 and plans to serve semiconductor, pharmaceutical, fission, and aerospace sectors while fusion matures. The firm showcased its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield.

💡 Why It Matters

· By unlocking a scalable source of lithium‑6, Licube addresses a bottleneck that could delay fusion’s commercial debut, positioning itself at the intersection of energy innovation and high‑tech supply chains.

Read full article on techcrunch.com

Cambridge Heavy Industries has been quietly building a desktop fusion device

Cambridge Heavy Industries, a stealth startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has unveiled a benchtop inertial confinement fusion device that uses only two lasers to ignite a fuel target. The compact system, developed in a small MIT‑adjacent lab, allows rapid iteration with up to 80 shots per day, feeding AI‑driven simulations. The company recently secured a $6.2 million seed round led by Azolla Ventures. Future plans include scaling the prototype to a two‑basketball‑court plant and producing tritium for larger fusion reactors.

💡 By drastically reducing laser count, the startup cuts capital costs and accelerates experimental cycles, potentially reshaping the economics of fusion research. Its tritium‑production strategy could supply the scarce isotope that fuels most commercial fusion concepts, addressing a critical supply bottleneck.

teslarati.com · Oct 13

Taiwan power firm bets big on Tesla Megapacks as AI data center…

A Taiwanese power firm, Apollo Power, secured 260 Tesla Megapack 2XL units—about 1 GWh of storage—through a contract signed on October 8. The units will support behind‑the‑meter storage and grid resilience projects, with deliveries starting late 2027 and operation by 2028. Apollo will finance the purchase via a capital increase and bank loans, while the deal reflects a strategic move to lock in scarce storage capacity amid rising AI data‑center demand. The order does not yet translate into firm customer contracts.

💡 By pre‑ordering a large share of Tesla’s high‑capacity batteries, Apollo positions itself to meet the imminent surge in AI‑driven energy needs, potentially shaping Taiwan’s competitive edge in data‑center infrastructure.

cleantechnica.com · Oct 13

Europe Should Learn From South Korea’s Hydrogen Station Failure

Europe is pressing ahead with a hydrogen‑refueling network under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, mandating stations every 200 km on major motorways by 2030 and estimating a €2.1 billion capital need. The policy aims to spur hydrogen‑truck adoption by guaranteeing refueling, yet the approach mirrors South Korea’s earlier rollout, which built 493 stations while only 49,220 hydrogen vehicles were registered—just 16.4 % of its target. In the first half of 2026, 80.6 % of South Korea’s 258 active stations relied on government subsidies to cover operating losses, and several newer sites have already ceased operations. Even a break‑even case at Jeonju Pyeonghwa involved heavy subsidies and fossil‑derived hydrogen, underscoring that profitability hinges on guaranteed demand and favorable fuel costs—conditions Europe’s mandated motorway stations may lack.

💡 Europe risks locking billions into infrastructure that may never achieve commercial viability, repeating South Korea’s costly subsidy cycle.

energy-storage.news · Oct 13

Clearway Energy increases Utah ‘Energy Centre’ capacity to 2,120MWh

Clearway Energy announced on 9 October that it has added 210 MW of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity to its Honeycomb Energy Centre fleet in southern Utah, raising the combined storage capacity to 2,120 MWh. The expansion is backed by long‑term power purchase agreements with utility PacifiCorp and enables three new BESS facilities to move into the second phase of the Honeycomb project. Each 80 MW installation sits beside an existing Clearway solar plant, also contracted to PacifiCorp. The Honeycomb portfolio represents roughly a $600 million investment, financed in March 2025 by a consortium led by KeyBanc, CoBank, DNB, and others. Construction, led by Rosendin, is expected to create at least 150 jobs and generate $37 million in tax revenue for Beaver and Iron counties, plus annual community donations.

💡 The added storage capacity deepens Utah’s grid flexibility, allowing more solar output to be captured and dispatched when demand peaks, directly supporting PacifiCorp’s reliability goals.

cleantechnica.com · Oct 13

Trump’s Dirty Energy Double Whammy: Pay More for Fuel & Power—and Use…

The Trump administration’s energy policies have driven gasoline prices up nearly 50% nationwide since February 28, 2026, costing households an average of $540 in added fuel expenses over seven months. The administration’s repeal of clean‑vehicle standards and attacks on clean‑energy projects have increased electricity rates by 15.1% and projected a 40% rise in gasoline consumption. These moves benefit oil and gas billionaires while raising consumer costs, health expenses, and threatening future clean‑energy jobs.

💡 By dismantling fuel‑efficiency rules, the administration has directly inflated consumer fuel costs and entrenched fossil‑fuel dependence, undermining long‑term climate goals and economic resilience.

cleantechnica.com · Oct 12

Pebble Upgrades the 2027 Flow, Turning It Into A Microgrid To Power…

Pebble has upgraded its 2027 Flow fifth‑wheel with a new external solar integrator that adds up to 3 kW of additional solar, enabling a total of 4 kW to charge its 45 kWh iron‑phosphate battery. The retrofit, available to all owners, works with Jackery’s 500 W panels and will ship in December 2026. Interior changes include optional twin beds replacing the queen‑size Murphy bed, and electrochromatic glass for privacy. Pebble OS 2 will roll out OTA, adding Boost Mode for 40 kW tow assistance.

💡 The expanded solar capacity turns the Flow into a self‑sufficient microgrid, allowing users to power homes, charge EVs, or run appliances during outages—an unprecedented level of off‑grid capability for a recreational vehicle.