Gauss Fusion has signed an agreement with TU Munich for the selection of Fusion Power Plant locations in Europe
The Technical University of Munich/School of Engineering and Design (TUM/ED) has been commissioned to carry out a site selection study for the construction of Europe's first gigawatt-class fusion power plant
Munich, 27 February 2024 – A new milestone on the path to fusion power in Europe, the next step towards commercialization. “Our goal is to revolutionize the European renewable energy landscape by bringing safe and renewable fusion energy into the future energy mix. Our vision is for fusion to become a reliable energy source to complement other renewables to provide the sustainable power that the world needs. Now is the time to bring the energy source of the future from lab to track,” explains Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion.
In order to leverage existing infrastructure, accelerate site construction, and keep costs low, the study will primarily examine former nuclear fission or coal power plants. TUM will assess existing sites through Europe with a special focus on Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, France, and Italy. In Spain, the Vandellós site, which was in competition for the construction of the ITER research reactor but was not ultimately selected, will also be considered. By the end of 2024, five potential sites will be shortlisted and their socio-economic, commercial and technical conditions will be assessed before a final proposal is made. The selection criteria range from the cooling options available to the frequency of earthquakes.
Through this collaboration, Gauss Fusion and TUM/ED are laying the groundwork for building the first industrial-scale fusion power plant in the early 2040s.
Energy supply is a particularly important factor for a site to be selected. During the start-up, testing, and commissioning phases, the fusion power plant will need up to 300 megawatts of power for plant operations while it is not producing its own electricity. In the production phase, the fusion power plant will feed one gigawatt of electrical power into the grid. A fusion power plant also requires sufficient cooling water or other suitable cooling options. Geological and seismic conditions also play an important role. The nature of the foundation soil, in particular its load-bearing capacity in terms of stability, and the frequency and strength of earthquakes in the region, will also be considered in the assessment.
“The study creates an important and concrete basis for accelerating the construction of a gigawatt- power plant and making it as efficient as possible. By building the foundations to unlock the power of fusion energy, we are positioning Europe as a global leader in the commercialization of this safe, clean, and unlimited energy source” says Frédérick Bordry, CTO of Gauss Fusion. “Fusion is an inexhaustible source of energy that could help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change. ITER is the current major fusion project and shows the way. It is important to plan now for the design and implementation of the first fusion power plant that will be connected to the electricity grid. TUM is very proud to collaborate with Gauss Fusion to identify potential suitable infrastructures in Europe for their first fusion power plant,” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Hamacher, Chair of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems at the Technical University of Munich.
About Gauss Fusion
Gauss Fusion is a green technology company founded in 2022 by private industrial companies from Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, including IDOM, with extensive knowledge and experience in fusion technology. Gauss Fusion also collaborates with leading European research institutes such as CERN, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and ENEA in Italy.
