Nuclear fusion companies call on Germany to participate in EU support scheme
Tagesspiegel Background
Nuclear fusion industry stakeholders have urged the German government to participate in an EU scheme to support the technology’s development, reported Tagesspiegel Background. The European Union and several member state governments are planning to set up a so-called “Important Project of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) on innovative nuclear technologies including fusion, which would make it easier for countries to provide state support. Germany has not yet decided whether it will participate, Tagesspiegel said.
Germany not participating would amount to “a catastrophe,” said Günter Kraft, head of communication and government affairs at German-US start-up Focused Energy. The government so far has been doing a good job regarding fusion policy, but refusing to participate in the IPCEI would risk Germany falling behind in Europe, he said.
The economy ministry told Tagesspiegel that it was still assessing the planned scheme. The instrument is set to also cover nuclear fission technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMR), but the ministry said any German participation would be “exclusively limited to the field of fusion.”
Germany’s leading fusion start-ups have called on the government to seize a “unique historical opportunity” to lead in nuclear fusion technology by committing three billion euros for the construction of demonstration plants. The government has said it will invest more than two billion euros by 2029 into research and pilot projects.
This is not enough, said Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion. Ultimately, it is a question of European sovereignty and independence, she told Tagesspiegel.
Nuclear fusion holds the promise of delivering climate-friendly, safe, and virtually limitless energy. But even if the technology proves successful, it will likely come too late to play a major role in reaching climate neutrality by mid-century. Fusion still faces significant technical hurdles and is expected to remain costly, which could severely limit its use in a world powered mainly by renewables.
