Europe turns to Japan for help building first fusion power plant

Europe is racing to build the world's first commercial fusion power plant, with Munich-based Proxima Fusion signing agreements with two Japanese industrial partners, Fujikura and Kyoto Fusioneering, in Tokyo on Oct. 28, attended by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Proxima, developing a stellarator magnetic fusion device, will expand work on gyrotrons for plasma heating and explore industrial-scale German production of high-temperature superconducting tape, aiming for 5,000 kilometers annually by 2030 with a 140 million euro facility. CEO Francesco Sciortino targets net energy gain in the early 2030s, emphasizing operational simplicity for profitability. The move addresses Europe's historical struggle to convert scientific leadership into industrial capability, with competitors including U.S. firms Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Helion Energy, plus China's state-backed players. Experts stress supply chains must be built years in advance, as fusion is not a simple switch to throw.