3 Key Insights - Fusion in the EU
In our member Q&A session on the 21st November 2024, we discussed fusion activity in the EU with our expert speaker Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion and Chair of the European Fusion Association (EFA), which launched in Summer 2024.
Milena gave an update on how policy around fusion energy is evolving and how fusion plans are developing in Europe. She also talked about her company, Gauss Fusion – which was uniquely founded by European industrial partners – and how wider industry in Europe is getting involved in fusion.
Here are three key insights from the event.
1. If the EU doesn’t overcome its fragmentation problem then they are in trouble in regards to fusion development
Milena says: “I think one of the reasons why Europe is not yet on the fusion map, and we see always the US and China, is because of the fragmentation in Europe, we don't have a united Europe.”
Milena argues that the differences between European countries in their approach to energy means that fusion could have a different development pathway across Europe in comparison to other countries and continents in the world. However, European fragmentation is not a problem unique to fusion, it applies for other industries as well.
Yet, there are also many signs of strong collaboration across Europe and Milena is confident that there could be a harmonised approach to fusion regulation across Europe. The ITER collaborative force for science is a very strong approach – the EU could follow this and seek to encourage cooperation to fusion development across the region.
2. Fusion could reactivate the economy in Europe and be the industrial renaissance that Europe needs
Europe needs new high-tech industry and fusion could fill this gap. Over the past half century, Europe has seen a decline in its industry and, with that, economic decline.
“Fusion gives Europe a unique opportunity to reactivate the economy in Europe and create a renaissance and to create jobs that we are closing,” says Milena.
Milena sees fusion as an enormous opportunity for Europe: to boost its high-tech industry, to create jobs, to stimulate the supply chain, to fuel economic growth.
Education is needed to train the workforce of today to be able to work in the fusion industry. That training needs to start now because people are losing their jobs in Europe currently due to decline in industry, but fusion power plants are not ready to be constructed yet. Therefore, there needs to be training and education for the workforce now to help bridge the gap for when fusion comes online.
3. In Europe people are gradually changing their prejudices around ‘nuclear’ – this has implications for fusion
With the Ukraine-Russia war and consequently electricity prices rising, forcing many to lose their businesses due to spiralling costs, people in Europe have been questioning whether their beliefs of nuclear fission were wrong. There has also been a large-scale attitude shift to ‘nuclear’ and this is good for fusion.
Milena thinks that “people are starting to inform themselves, and I think that the mentality [towards nuclear] is changing.”
Fusion is seen as being the ‘good’ side of nuclear – this may not be correct, but it is positive for the commercialisation of fusion and public acceptance. In the past, fusion energy has sought to distance itself from nuclear fission by not using the term ‘nuclear’. However, Milena argues that referring to fusion without using the word nuclear can still have benefits: “if we can make it a bit more digestible for people from the beginning by not using the word ‘nuclear’, it's easy for them to understand.”
And finally…
Milena ended the event by saying: “The Fusion Age is here!” The pursuit to make fusion energy work and commercialise it globally is well under way. Non-technical people are now working in fusion. There is a growth in jobs available. People working in fusion and supportive of fusion are “fusionistas” – join us, there’s a hashtag you can follow #fusionista.