Munich-based Proxima Fusion has signed a memorandum of understanding with the State of Lower Saxony, Germany, to construct a production facility for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire. The planned facility is intended to be the first in Europe for large-scale, fusion-grade HTS manufacturing, a critical component for the company's development of quasi-isodynamic (QI) stellarators. This vertical integration strategy aims to de-risk the supply chain for the high-performance magnets required for steady-state fusion energy devices. The initiative is part of a broader regional effort branded as "Fusion-Valley Lower Saxony," which seeks to build an industrial ecosystem around fusion technology. Source: Proxima Fusion
The move addresses a significant bottleneck in the advanced fusion sector. While several companies globally are developing HTS-based magnets, the available supply of high-quality, long-length wire remains a constraint on the pace of development for multiple fusion concepts, including both compact tokamaks and optimized stellarators. By establishing its own production capability, Proxima Fusion aims to ensure a reliable supply of the core material needed for its magnet systems, which are fundamental to achieving the strong, precisely shaped magnetic fields for plasma confinement in its QI stellarator design. This approach mirrors similar supply-chain-focused moves by other private fusion developers. Source: Proxima Fusion
This approach mirrors similar supply-chain-focused moves by other private fusion developers.
Proxima Fusion, a spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), is building upon the experimental success of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. The W7-X device, located at IPP Greifswald, has demonstrated the viability of optimized stellarator configurations for stable, high-performance plasmas, achieving an energy turnover of 1.3 gigajoules and plasma durations of up to eight minutes in past campaigns. Proxima's QI stellarator concept seeks to further refine this design using engineering and computational advances, with HTS magnets being a key enabling technology to achieve higher magnetic field strength and continuous operation, which are necessary for a commercially viable power plant. Source: Proxima Fusion
The partnership with Lower Saxony provides a political and industrial framework for the project. Olaf Lies, the state's Minister for Economic Affairs, stated the government is creating the necessary conditions to promote the technology. According to Proxima co-founder and CEO Dr. Francesco Sciortino, industrializing the HTS supply chain is a critical step to accelerate fusion development. COO Dr. Martin Kubie added that the facility will strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty in a key industry. The specific timeline, production capacity, and financial investment for the facility were not detailed in the announcement. Source: Proxima Fusion