Deutsches Fusions-Start-up arbeitet mit US-Universität zusammen, um Laseranlage zu errichten

Subscribe to receive updates on the Energy sector

Sign up for our myFT Daily Digest email to stay informed about the latest Energy sector news every morning.

A German start-up, Marvel Fusion, is collaborating with Colorado State University to establish the first laser facility dedicated to commercial fusion energy research. There is increasing optimism regarding the potential of fusion technology in delivering zero-carbon power.

The partnership, worth $150mn, aims to advance the development of a laser-based approach for producing commercially-viable power through atomic fusion. The interest in fusion technology has grown since December, when scientists at the US government-run National Ignition Facility achieved a net energy gain in a fusion reaction for the first time using the world’s largest laser. The breakthrough was repeated in July, resulting in an even higher energy output.

While the NIF primarily focuses on simulating reactions in nuclear weapons, the Colorado facility will be specifically designed to develop the technology required for a laser-based fusion power station, according to CEO Moritz von der Linden. He remarked, “There is momentum in fusion worldwide. People are realizing that energy demand and climate change are urgent issues that cannot be addressed by renewables alone.”

The most extensively studied approach to fusion is magnetic confinement, which utilizes large magnets to hold two hydrogen isotopes in place and heat them to temperatures hotter than the sun. Laser fusion, on the other hand, relies on inertial confinement, where lasers are directed at a tiny capsule of hydrogen fuel, causing an implosion. The Colorado facility will initially have three lasers, each more powerful than the equivalent lasers at the NIF. Moreover, the system will be capable of delivering 10 flashes per second, compared to the NIF’s one shot per day.

Von der Linden stated, “What we can achieve with lasers today was inconceivable just five years ago.”

In December, the NIF’s fusion reaction produced around 3.15 megajoules of energy, which was approximately 150% of the energy in the lasers. Scientists estimate that a laser-based power station would require several fusion reactions per second, with each reaction generating between 30 and 100 times the energy in the lasers. While most scientists believe that commercially viable fusion power is still decades away, its potential cannot be ignored. Fusion reactions emit no carbon, produce no long-lived radioactive waste, and a small amount of hydrogen fuel has the potential to power a house for hundreds of years.

The choice to partner with Colorado State University instead of a European institution was based on “speed,” according to Von der Linden. He explained, “For us, it was the fastest and most capital-efficient way to proceed with building this facility.” He previously mentioned the disadvantage of being a fusion company in Germany due to the higher levels of private capital and government support available in the US.

Speaking from Colorado on Monday, Von der Linden acknowledged the funding gap. He remarked, “Here in the US, investors have demonstrated greater commitment and risk appetite, as well as greater support for this technology.”

However, he also mentioned several European initiatives that are heading “in the right direction,” including the UK government’s support for the fusion industry around Oxford, France’s inclusion of fusion in its France 2030 program, and Germany’s recent publication of its fusion study.

Von der Linden stated, “We see the Colorado facility as an important stepping stone to demonstrate the technology and eventually build a power plant. However, this does not necessarily mean that the power plant will also be located in the US. It could very well, hopefully, be in Europe.”