Ahead of the EU Fusion Strategy due to come out later this year, Euractiv published an analysis of Europe’s approach to fusion commercialization, examining the balance between public and private investment, and future EU funding priorities.
Europe’s ambitions to lead the global race for fusion energy took centre stage at a recent Barcelona roundtable, as the European Commission seeks an EU-wide fusion strategy.
The US and Europe risk losing the race for commercial fusion as China leverages its industrial strength and supply chains.
The FIA is delighted to officially release its EU Manifesto “Bringing Fusion To The Grid” aimed to educate European policymakers on the benefits of fusion energy and enabling conditions to accelerate its commercialization in Europe.
On April 11, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder made a visit to the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany. The two commended the work done at the Institute and emphasized the need for a European fusion alliance, public-private partnership programs, and a clear…
Magnetic confinement: Plasma is heated to 100 million °C or more, then squeezed and held in place by strong magnetic fields, allowing many fusion reactions to occur. (Example: tokamaks, stellarators)
Inertial confinement: Tiny fuel pellets are struck by powerful lasers. The outer layer explodes outward, compressing the core to fusion conditions for a few nanoseconds, producing a brief but intense pulse of energy from each pellet. (Example: National Ignition Facility)
Hybrid systems: Combine compression (e.g., from lasers, plasma pistons, or mechanical impact) with moderate magnetic fields to reduce energy losses and improve confinement.
Electrostatic fusion: Uses high electric potentials to accelerate ions toward a central reaction zone, causing them to collide at high energies and fuse. The ions are guided and confined by electric fields rather than magnets, creating a compact environment for fusion reactions.