Zap Energy's liquid bismuth loop achieves 1,000 hours of continuous operation

Zap Energy/Z-Pinch Fusion Power Plant

Zap Energy announced that its liquid bismuth cooling loop successfully completed over 1,000 hours of continuous flowing operation, validating the thermal hydraulics and material compatibility of the company's heat extraction system. This milestone demonstrates the feasibility of liquid metal cooling at power plant scales.

• Liquid bismuth loop in sustained operation for 1,000+ hours
• Validates material compatibility and thermal hydraulics of cooling design
• Critical test for long-term operation of fusion first wall and blanket
• Demonstrates readiness for next-scale integrated systems testing
• Liquid metal approach enables shared cooling for fusion, hybrid, and fission modules