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Euractiv
a day ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Fusion in the energy grid? Europe needs to act now
Nuclear fusion has been described as the holy grail of energy, offering the possibility of CO2-free power generation that does not rely on imports. But despite decades of research and development, there has still not been a breakthrough that would make the technology competitive with nuclear fission, the process used in today's nuclear plants. The Barcelona-based organisation Fusion for Energy (F4E), a joint undertaking of Euratom and the EU created in 2007, has been coordinating Europe's contribution to the France-based International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). F4E recently held a conference with politicians and stakeholders in Barcelona to evaluate what it will take for Europe to continue its early lead on fusion technology, especially as China and the United States are now receiving most of the research funding. Euractiv asked F4E Director Marc Lachaise what is needed for a renewed focus on fusion in Europe. EV: What is nuclear fusion, and how does it differ from the nuclear fission that has been used to generate electricity over the past decades? ML: Fusion is the process that powers the sun and other stars. It holds the key to safe, virtually unlimited and clean energy, offering Europe greater autonomy, security and resilience. It comes with far-reaching benefits. For example, the fuels required are abundant enough to last millions of years, reducing our dependence on fuels, which often generate geopolitical tensions. Small amounts of fuel can generate plenty of energy: 60 kg of fusion fuel can provide the same amount of energy as 250,000 tonnes of oil. There are no greenhouse gas emissions or long-lasting radioactive waste produced, and fusion power plants would be inherently safe with no risk of chain reactions, posing very low risks to populations in the vicinity. Steady and reliable energy will be generated, complementing renewables in providing a 'baseload' electricity. Fusion for Energy plays a key role in shaping Europe's capacity to deliver on this technology. We partner with European industry to provide components and expertise to ITER, the biggest international fusion experiment, plus projects such as JT-60SA in Japan, or DONES in Spain. We develop the talent and knowledge for the construction and operation of commercial fusion power plants in Europe, and we create and consolidate an EU supply chain. EV: Europe has been an early leader in fusion because of the ITER project. Where does the progress for ITER stand right now? What lessons have been learned so far? ML: Europe has been a leader in hosting important fusion facilities before ITER. For example, ASDEX and W7-X in Germany, WEST in France, DTT in Italy, and JET. Thanks to our commitment, we have created a large community of experts who have been successfully breaking records and advancing fusion science. ITER, however, raised the stakes like no other project – it's the biggest fusion project of its type ever constructed and aims to produce ten times more heat than required to start the fusion reactions. By bringing together half of the world's population, representing 80% of the global GDP through the participation of China, Europe, Japan, India, South Korea, Russia and the United States, it highlighted the importance of international science diplomacy and collaboration. Europe, as host of the project and responsible for nearly half of it, has the highest level of involvement. F4E offers companies unparalleled opportunities to learn by manufacturing. One of the clear lessons is that supply chains matter, together with the level of investment and continuity. We need to engage with industry as equal partners and make them part of the long-term strategy. F4E has been a catalyst in putting together the biggest supply chain in fusion, which is a vital element of the ecosystem. In terms of progress, an optimised ITER project plan has been developed, reinforcing our commitment. Europe has completed most of the buildings, all its magnets, two sectors of the vacuum vessel, and other pieces of equipment. These massive components are now being assembled to form the core of the machine. Thanks to ITER, we will test many technologies in an integrated manner and study a burning plasma that will release more energy than that used to produce it. EV: Do you think Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed Europe's thinking about energy independence? How can nuclear fusion help Europe meet its climate goals? ML: Undoubtedly, the consequences on the international level have been severe. There is a before and after this incident, forcing Europe to reconsider its power supply and energy mix. The European Commission responded quickly with REPowerEU, seeking alternatives to ensure a steady supply of fuels to protect businesses and citizens. Europe's energy autonomy is of strategic importance. Otherwise, it will remain vulnerable to geopolitical conflict, exposed to market volatility and with its infrastructure at risk. Currently, we import 60% of the energy we consume at a price of €1 billion per day. At the same time, we need to curb our CO2 emissions and enjoy a cleaner environment - a priority that scores high with Europeans. Let's keep in mind that 80% of the energy we consume comes from fossil fuels. Designing the energy mix of the future requires vision. We need a range of options to compensate for any surge in demand. Fusion may still be a long-term option, but one that can strengthen our autonomy, ensure steady and reliable carbon-free energy. EV: Other areas of the world are also making progress on fusion. Is Europe falling behind? What has the observatory shown about private investment in fusion here in Europe compared to other parts of the world? ML: The report by Enrico Letta, which flagged innovation as the 'Fifth Freedom' of the European Union, and that of Mario Draghi on European competitiveness, came at a time when we needed to inject dynamism, restore confidence to our business community and take risks. They were a wake-up call to Europe's potential. Energy is an area of strategic importance and fusion has been described as a 'disruptive technology that holds the potential to revolutionise the energy landscape'. One may ask what this fusion landscape looks like and who is leading in the race? That's how the idea of an F4E Fusion Observatory was born to analyse data and deliver a report, authored by Europeans, on private investment in fusion. Global fusion private investment has reached an accumulated total of €9.9 billion up to June 2025 - a more than six-fold increase since 2020. However, this growth is highly concentrated, with the US and China accounting for 85% of all funding. The US leads the private race with 38 of 68 private fusion companies and 60% of global funding. That's partly because European capital finds the US venture market more attractive, offering a broader choice. China is a strong second, securing 25% of funding with a model of only six companies. The EU's private ecosystem has eight companies and 70 investors and has raised €567 million, representing 5% of the funding. However, the picture changes completely when we take into consideration the EU's public investment amounting so far to €7 billion to ITER, awarded via F4E to a supply chain of 2700 companies. I am very happy that we are beginning to collaborate and support a number of EU fusion start-ups. But let us be clear - none of the new privately funded fusion projects are on the scale of ITER, and they will not be able to operate at the same level of performance. Nevertheless, they are making important advances in fusion technologies that should help accelerate progress. EV: F4E has been mapping the skills and key technologies needed for fusion. What have you found so far? ML: The delivery of fusion energy is a multi-generational endeavour requiring those involved to attract new talent and offer meaningful career paths. Europe is well-positioned because it masters knowledge and counts several centres that could provide training. The best way to achieve this objective is to align, act, and accelerate, starting by investing in education and training initiatives like Erasmus Mundus or mobility schemes between academia and industry. In parallel, universities and companies need to build a strong reputation for the fusion ecosystem. To compensate for the low levels of readiness of some key technologies, new facilities must be created that are representative of operational conditions. They can, in turn, become technology hubs offering hands-on experience to tomorrow's workforce. A question remains on the need for additional fusion devices or complementary test facilities, where all systems would be integrated and operate in a seamless manner. I would also like to mention that F4E has rolled out a Technology Development Programme to help early-stage technologies mature and be ready for future fusion projects. It's a clear example of Europe getting ready to address future technical challenges. The programme has touched on fuel cycle, advanced manufacturing, materials, AI and will soon tackle other technologies, such as magnets. Through such initiatives, F4E will be able to shape the future of research in fusion and offer direction. [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
09-07-2025
- Science
International Organization Pavilion
Five international organizations are participating as co-exhibitors at the Osaka Expo: the World Expo Museum, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), International Solar Alliance, ITER, and the International Science and Technology Center. The World Expo Museum, which opened on the former site of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, is the only museum in the world to have been authorized by the Bureau International des Expositions to present information about past Expos. The museum's exhibition area features a giant LCD screen and a 20-screen multi-monitor setup, showcasing the history of the World Expo right from its start back in London, 1851. ASEAN aims at promoting the attractiveness of its ten member countries, including a virtual reality experience for the various World Heritage sites across the region. A special stamp rally is also being held, encouraging visitors to make their way around all the ASEAN country pavilions to collect a stamp at each one. For the International Solar Alliance, which has more than 90 member countries, explanatory panels and videos are used to emphasize the importance of solar energy in future society. ITER, meanwhile, compromising seven countries and regions, features a model of a fusion reactor and CGI to provide an explanation on the future of energy. Finally, visitors to the exhibit for the International Science and Technology Center can see videos and use touch panels to learn about the collaborative efforts of the nine member countries and the EU toward the goal of preventing the proliferation of technology related to weapons of mass destruction. The International Organization pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives zone. ( See the official map for details.) National days take place at the Expo National Day Hall. The assigned days are Sunday, July 13 for ITER, Friday, August 8 for the ASEAN, and Wednesday August 27 for ISTC. An exterior view of the pavilion. (© ) (Originally published in Japanese. Reporting and text by Uchiyama Ken'ichi and . Photographic assistance by Kuroiwa Masakazu of 96-Box. Banner photo © .)
Euractiv
08-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Europe's struggle to lead in nuclear fusion energy race
Despite its early involvement in nuclear fusion research, the European Union is facing growing concerns about its ability to lead in this potentially transformative energy technology. While fusion promises a cleaner, safer, and virtually limitless source of power, the EU's fragmented approach and lack of high-level political leadership are raising alarms among experts and policymakers. At a recent conference in Barcelona, several speakers highlighted the mismatch between Europe's scientific capabilities and its strategic direction, pointing to the fact that only a small fraction of global private investment in fusion is currently flowing to Europe. Although major projects like ITER in France demonstrate Europe's technical ambition, critics argue that progress remains slow due to bureaucratic inertia and the absence of a unified vision. Calls are growing for a clear, EU-wide fusion strategy that includes strong political backing, public-private partnerships, and a regulatory framework distinct from nuclear fission. Without a coordinated roadmap from research to commercialisation, many warn that Europe could miss its opportunity to shape the future of global energy and fall behind more agile competitors like the United States. Read this Event Report to find out more about the EU's Nuclear Fusion ambitions.
Euractiv
08-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
EU lacks bold political leadership on nuclear fusion
An influential member of the European Parliament's industry committee has warned a gathering of politicians and stakeholders at a nuclear fusion event that a lack of political leadership at the European Commission is causing the EU to fall behind in a potentially game-changing energy technology. 'There is a lack of political leadership when it comes to nuclear energy in Europe - fission is not exempt from this,' said Christophe Grudler, a French MEP from the Renew Europe group, which also counts French President Emmanuel Macron as a member. Only 2% of the global amount of fusion investment is currently going to Europe, while 75% is going to the US, he said at the event. Grudler welcomed the Commission's intent to develop a European fusion strategy but said he still sees resistance and foot-dragging. 'We lack leadership today. In the current Commission, the responsibility for fusion lies somewhere between Euratom, the Commission's [research department] and its [energy department] - between one DG dealing with many files and another whose commissioner is not the most enthusiastic supporter of nuclear energy. This is why we need strong political ownership. That should be led from the very top by the president of the Commission herself, or an executive vice president.' Capital investment Stéphane Séjourné, the Commission's executive vice president who is also from Emmanuel Macron's French political group, has complained that seven times more private capital is available for fusion in the US than in the EU and has been pushing for a dedicated fusion strategy. France has been one of the countries pushing for more of an EU focus on nuclear energy but has faced resistance from other countries, including Germany and Austria. 'The strategy should promote public-private partnerships, provide a clear and stable regulatory framework distinct from nuclear fission and at the end create a European-level legal architecture rather than 27 fragmented ones,' said Grudler. No 'eureka' moment Grudler was speaking at a conference last month in Barcelona organised by Fusion for Energy, an organisation of the EU managing Europe's contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in Southern France, the largest fission demonstration in the world. Though research into nuclear fusion's potential has been going on for decades, it has yet to reach the 'eureka' moment which would make it viable like nuclear fission. Fusion is the same process that powers the sun, and the most common way to make it happen is by combining deuterium and tritium, two isotopes of hydrogen, to form helium and release energy according to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc²). If it can work, it would be a much more efficient and clean way to produce energy than nuclear fission, which produces long-lived radioactive waste and relies on hard-to-source uranium. Fusion promises a cleaner and virtually limitless source of energy if it can be successfully harnessed on Earth. But reproducing what the sun does is very complex. The promise is immense, but so is the challenge. Speaking at the conference, Massimo Garribba, the deputy chief of the Commission's energy department, said the intent is there for fusion, but there are obstacles, and that's why there needs to be a larger strategic focus that goes beyond just financing. '[Energy] Commissioner Jorgensen and [Research] Commissioner Zaharieva work together, and they are fully in favour of delivering this strategy,' he said. 'We have to see, there are another 23 commissioners and a president that will have to agree to this. But those two I can tell you, are quite committed to arriving at this point.' More money? 'Don't believe that if you just throw money at a problem, it will solve itself,' he added, noting that the Commission has spent €10.7 billion on ITER since 2007. 'So, what's the problem? You have all this money, all these wonderful people working on this. Well, I personally believe the problem is the approach has been a little bit haphazard. We have ITER, which is absolutely fundamental because without it you cannot do the rest, but you don't have an ecosystem of facilities which actually drives toward having a functioning system at the end of the day.' Garribba said he agreed with Grudler that the strategy has to have very specific goals to deliver financing, noting that there will be a lot of competition for funds in the new multiannual financial framework for the EU's budget over the next seven years that will be negotiated starting in mid-July. 'If we come out with a strategy that is convincing, where we explain what needs to be done and by whom in all the different areas, then we may have a discussion for the financing which would be easier than what we would otherwise have,' said Garribba. European leadership Several speakers at the conference emphasised that Europe is well-positioned to lead globally on fusion but it needs a clearer long-term strategy. 'I am optimistic, here in Europe we have unique conditions to build on the existing industrial ecosystem around ITER which is great, but we need to go beyond to address the needs of commercial fusion, so the supply chain needs to adapt to that.' 'Our leadership must prepare us for what comes after ITER, because ITER isn't an end it's a beginning,' said Grudler. 'Europe needs a roadmap from research to commercialisation, and here F4E can play a key role.' 'Fusion is long-term a high-risk endeavour,' the MEP added. 'But public-private partnerships allow us to share those risks while accelerating progress by combining public interest with private incentive in creating a predictable, stable framework for private investment. Europe already has successful models of such cooperation, such as the Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the Battery Alliance. Fusion deserves the same level of ambition.' [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Westinghouse and ITER Sign a $180M Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusion
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westinghouse Electric Company and ITER signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy. Westinghouse will be responsible for completing the vacuum vessel which is ITER's most critical component: a hermetically sealed, double-walled steel container that will house the fusion plasma. When all the vacuum vessel sectors are in place, Westinghouse will start the most intensive stage of ITER assembly: simultaneously welding the nine sectors to form a single, circular ring-shaped chamber (also known as a torus). 'ITER is pleased to have Westinghouse Electric Company taking on this significant role in our first-of-a kind project,' said Pietro Barabaschi, ITER Director-General. 'With decades of leadership in nuclear power plant design and construction, we are confident that Westinghouse will be able to apply its remarkable expertise to the assembly of the ITER Tokamak.' 'Westinghouse has always been at the forefront of energy innovation, and we are proud to work with ITER on this breakthrough initiative that could ensure energy security for generations to come,' said Dan Sumner, Westinghouse Interim CEO. 'Our expert teams look forward to bringing our world-class capabilities and expertise to the completion of this important project.' Westinghouse has collaborated with ITER for over a decade and has played a key role in the manufacturing of key parts for ITER vacuum vessel, including the manufacturing of five vacuum vessel sectors in cooperation with its partners Ansaldo Nucleare and Walter Tosto. Westinghouse participation involved developing advanced fabrication techniques and collaborating with global partners to meet ITER's high-quality requirements. Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company's technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation make Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X. ITER —designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power—will be the world's largest experimental fusion facility. Fusion is the process that powers the Sun and the stars: when light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released. Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source. ITER is also a first-of-a-kind global collaboration that serves as the scientific backbone behind the growth of a fusion industry. As the host, Europe contributes almost half of the costs of its construction, while the other six Members to this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States), contribute equally for the remaining expenses. The ITER Project is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in the south of France. For more information on the ITER Project, visit:
