Backed Heliogen — AI-controlled solar mirrors achieving temperatures above 1,000°C for industrial heat

Gates-backed Heliogen announced it had achieved — for the first time commercially — solar energy concentrated to temperatures above 1,000°C using an array of AI-controlled mirrors that precisely focused sunlight on a single point. At 1,000°C, Heliogen can replace fossil fuels in cement, steel, and petrochemical production — the industrial processes responsible for roughly 20% of global CO2 emissions. At 1,500°C the system can split water or CO2 to produce clean hydrogen or syngas. CNN reported the breakthrough as a potential turning point for industrial decarbonization, with Gates calling it an example of what happens when you apply technology smartly to a hard problem.