Opening remarks by Commissioner Simson at an event on 'The EU blueprint for fusion energy'

Opening remarks at EU blueprint for fusion energy event

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning everybody.

I'm delighted to welcome you all here in Strasbourg for the EU Blueprint for fusion energy conference.

I'm especially glad to see so many different fusion stakeholders here today.

We have fusion organisations and nuclear safety regulators.

We also have fusion start-ups from the EU, US and UK – a sign that fusion technologies are stepping out of the pure research realm.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is here too.

It has supported fusion energy research since its inception and continues to help Member States exchange and build knowledge on fusion science and technology.

And for the first time, the European Investment Bank is participating at a fusion conference – another reflection of the shift from research to business underway in the fusion industry.

Thank you all for being here, for your consistent efforts in delivering on fusion energy.

With such a great mix of participants, I have no doubt that we will have an interesting discussion today.

I think the time is right to discuss what a possible EU fusion strategy could look like.

I hope to hear your thoughts on the role of the EU and national governments, fusion laboratories and private start-ups in bringing fusion to commercialisation as fast as possible.

I'll give you my thoughts on this in a moment.

But first a word on why the topic of fusion has never been as relevant as it is now.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Think about the wider context and the threats we face.

Climate change continues to weigh in with record temperatures, storms, flooding and drought.

With the legal framework now in place to reach 2030 targets, we must turn our minds to next steps.

This is why we recently recommended reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 90% by 2040.

This is one step before climate neutrality by 2050 and it means decarbonising and electrifying our energy system to a large extent.

It's ambitious, but feasible if we use all zero and low carbon energy solutions and explore the most promising emerging technologies.

Fusion energy is one of them.

It is a new, carbon-free energy source, with potential to become a powerful part of the future energy mix.

Recent fusion breakthroughs, new fusion projects and technologies have garnered public attention.

From the EU's perspective, ITER remains the most significant flagship fusion project globally.

It has the magnitude and ambition to integrate many technologies.

We believe it is the best option for comprehensively proving the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion as an energy source.

The ongoing rebaselining exercise, which needs to be concluded without delay, will shed new light on the project.

That said, we need to do much more than just complete ITER.

The EU believes in international cooperation on fusion and we are working closely with our partners in advancing fusion as an energy source.

At the end of last year, I participated at the inauguration ceremony of the fusion device JT60-SA in Japan.

EU and Japan have a privileged partnership under the Broader Approach agreement. And I was very happy to see the direct result of that with the new fusion device.

More broadly, there is certainly new fusion momentum with a number of developments across the EU and beyond.

There are new start-ups and private initiatives.

In Spain, the DONES project, will test materials capable of withstanding fusion conditions.

A new funding programme for nuclear fusion research is happening in Germany.

US and UK have both made some bold announcements about harnessing the fusion in the next decade.

Japan established its own fusion strategy.

And we also know that China has a very ambitious fusion programme.

Coming back to why we are here today, let me shift now to the question of how we can reinforce EU fusion policy. Specifically, what can the EU and private start-ups do to commercialise fusion as fast as possible.

There is certainly an important role for industry and start-ups. Their first-hand experience can help to improve the technology and bring us closer to the ultimate goal of fusion power plants.

When it comes to the EU, because of our leading role in fusion, we are also at the forefront of developing a fusion regulatory framework.

This will entail a close dialogue with regulators to ensure a high level of safety of fusion installations, and to make the regulatory environment more predictable for developers and operators.

We have an important role to play too in fostering skills in the fusion sector.

The EU is supporting fusion research, education, and training activities through the Euratom Research and Training Programme.

This is an important piece of the puzzle in our fusion efforts and needs to be part of our long-term vision.

Finally, we are coming to the end of the current financial framework and reflecting on the next financial cycle.

There may lie new opportunities to find ways of crowding in private money.

This would allow funding to flow to fusion technology related projects and reinforce a proper ecosystem.

There are several paths to fusion energy success and we all have the same interest in getting there as soon as possible.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is something nearly futuristic and akin to science-fiction in nuclear fusion.

After all it's the same process that powers the sun and other stars.

As futuristic as it may sound, the recent technological breakthroughs and increased private investment are happening right now, gaining huge momentum for the fusion industry.

Let's build on that and capitalise on all the work to date to forge a clear path for the EU towards fusion commercialisation and industrial capability.

Thank you for your attention.