Proxima Fusion Advances Stellarator Design for Nuclear Fusion Energy

Proxima Fusion is working on a stellarator, a device designed to contain burning plasma for nuclear fusion through a complex shape with twists and curves. This approach contrasts with the more common tokamak, which uses a doughnut-shaped container. The company aims to create abundant, emission-free electricity by replicating the Sun's energy-producing reaction on Earth.

Fusion involves heating hydrogen isotopes like tritium and deuterium to form a hot plasma, which must be controlled to sustain the reaction. High temperatures, exceeding those on the Sun, are required without the Sun's gravitational forces.

to Francesco Sciortino, co-founder and CEO of Proxima Fusion, the stellarator's design could make plasma easier to control than in tokamaks, describing it as a simple machine once built. The company is developing a stellarator named Alpha, drawing from decades of research at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics and its W7-X device.

Building stellarators is more difficult and expensive due to their intricate shapes. Proxima Fusion recently secured €400 million from the state of Bavaria and is seeking over a billion dollars from the federal government, with a decision expected next year.

The Fusion Industry Association reports 53 groups developing fusion technology. One tokamak-based project is the UK's Step, planned for a former coal-fired power station site in West Burton, Yorkshire, backed by the UK government. Ryan Ramsey, director of Organisational Performance at Step, stated that tokamaks benefit from extensive experimental data and simpler magnetic geometry, aiding manufacturability and cost.