European Commission on “The EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy”
The European Commission hosted an event on April 23 in Strasbourg focused on “The EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy” with participation by FIA EU Director Cyrille Mai Thanh and our EU-based FIA members and affiliate members. The event discussed the role of the EU in accelerating the development of commercial fusion power, and ways public and private sectors can collaborate.
“The recent technological breakthroughs and increased private investment are happening right now, gaining huge momentum for the fusion industry. Let’s build on that and capitalise on all the work to date to forge a clear path for the EU towards fusion commercialisation and industrial capability.”
Commissioner Simson, Opening Remarks
In her keynote speech, Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy, touched upon the need to develop a fusion regulatory framework and make the regulatory environment more predictable for developers and operators. She also addressed the issue of funding highlighting that the EU is reaching the end of its financial cycle and that there could be new opportunities to find ways of crowding in private money. This would help funding flow to fusion projects and reinforce the fusion ecosystem.
The event brought in representatives from the EU, the UK, and the US speaking across panel discussions addressing the state of global fusion policy and its current challenges, the development of the fusion ecosystem industry and workforce, fusion regulation and international harmonisation, as well as the fusion financial landscape.
In his closing remarks, Maros Šefčovič, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, highlighted four key priorities for the EU: (1) need for enhanced collaboration, (2) need for more financing, (3) need for regulatory certainty, and (4) need for a workforce with the right skills.
Overall, all stakeholders agreed that there is growing momentum in fusion. The recent technological breakthroughs and increased private investment are gaining unprecedented momentum for the fusion industry. This event sends a strong political signal that the EU aims to forge a clear path towards fusion commercialisation and industrial capability.
You can watch the event in full below.
