Germany is launching a competitive grant program in September to fund the construction of two fusion demonstration plants, one each for magnetic confinement and laser-based fusion technologies, as part of a broader push to bring commercial fusion power online by the 2040s.
Research Minister Dorothee Bär announced Wednesday in Berlin the creation of three fusion research hubs, located in Karlsruhe, Biblis and Garching near Munich, linking more than 30 universities, research institutes and companies. The hubs will receive an initial 125 million euros in ministry funding. One hub pairs Proxima Fusion with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics on magnetic confinement; another teams Focused Energy and Marvel Fusion on laser fusion; and a third at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology will develop heat-resistant reactor materials, fuel cycles and waste management.
The federal government plans to invest roughly 9 billion euros through its high-tech development strategy and expects to choose a preferred technology pathway by the mid-2030s.