Proxima Fusion signs Japanese partnerships for German fusion projects
The agreements cover a possible superconducting tape supply chain in Lower Saxony, alongside plasma heating and fuel cycle technologies.
Germany’s Proxima Fusion has signed memoranda of understanding with Fujikura and Kyoto Fusioneering to develop technologies and supply chains for commercial fusion energy. The signing took place in Tokyo while Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, was visiting Japan.
The Fujikura agreement provides for an assessment of whether a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape supply chain could be established in Lower Saxony, potentially with local production. The assessment will examine technical feasibility and commercial and economic viability. HTS tape is used in the powerful magnets needed for compact stellarators.
Proxima expects its Alpha demonstrator to need approximately 20,000 kilometres of HTS tape, while each planned Stellaris plant would require around 40,000 kilometres. The company said linking its anticipated demand with Fujikura’s manufacturing expertise could support European production capabilities.
The agreement with Kyoto Fusioneering extends an existing collaboration covering gyrotrons and fuel cycle technology. Gyrotrons produce high-power microwaves to heat plasma; fuel cycle systems process and manage fusion fuel. Kyoto Fusioneering will provide engineering and technology support for commercial fusion deployment in Germany, including through the government’s Fusion Hubs initiative.
Proxima is targeting the early 2030s for Alpha, a stellarator demonstrator intended to achieve net energy gain. Its first commercial Stellaris plant is planned for later in that decade. The Munich-based company employs around 200 people, and its commercialisation plans have support from the Alpha Alliance, which brings together more than 50 industrial partners.
