Proxima Fusion, a German stellarator start-up, plans to construct Europe’s first large-scale industrial factory for high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape in Lower Saxony, Germany. This €140 million ($162.6 million) investment is equally split between private capital and public funding, with Lower Saxony contributing €21 million (just under 30% of the public portion). The initiative aims to reduce Europe's dependence on Asian suppliers (primarily China and Japan) for HTS tape, a critical component for fusion reactors, and to establish a resilient European supply chain.
The plant will address a significant supply gap, as Proxima's demonstration plant, Alpha, will require 20,000 kilometers of HTS tape, and its commercial power plant, Stellaris, will need approximately 40,000 kilometers. By localizing production, Proxima Fusion seeks to gain control over pricing and delivery schedules, rather than relying on foreign manufacturers. The project, supported by the Alpha Alliance (an industrial consortium of over 50 European and international partners), also involves collaborations with RWE and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics to ensure integration with future power plant designs.
This strategic move by Proxima Fusion is part of a broader effort to bolster Europe's position in the global fusion race, where the US currently leads in funding, having attracted €6.9 billion ($7.9 billion) for 42 companies by the end of 2025, compared to Europe's €712 million ($826 million) for eight companies. Germany, however, has pledged over €2 billion ($2.3 billion) by 2029 to support fusion research. The HTS tape factory is seen as a critical step toward industrializing fusion technology in Europe, creating skilled jobs, and ensuring industrial sovereignty by translating world-leading stellarator research into a globally significant industry.
