The FIA and The Fusion Cluster call on all incoming MPs and Government to:

1. Visit the UK’s public and private Fusion facilities, and see that we are ready to deliver.
2. Sustain support for: the STEP programme, wider UKAEA research activities, and progression of other fusion technologies towards first plants.
3. Progress the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s work supporting skills and driving growth in innovative private industry in the UK.
4. Continue and deepen support for international and multilateral cooperation to accelerate the deployment of fusion energy.
5. Continue supporting measures to stimulate private fusion investment.
6. Continue developing the planning measure, National Policy Statement EN-8.
7. Begin to develop, with industry, an energy market framework which is ready to adopt private fusion powerplants.

The global race for commercial fusion is on, with companies aiming to deliver commercial plants through the coming years – making large-scale deployment through the 2030s and 2040s a real prospect. The fusion industry could be worth £billions to the economy in the coming decades – and offers a British export to overcome global climate change. This will only be possible if we stimulate private investment, alongside public programmes, to develop, operate and own fusion technology across the value chain.

Please contact Tristam Denton, FIA UK Director, and Valerie Jamieson, Manager of The Fusion Cluster, with any questions.

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Commercial fusion power will unlock unparalleled benefits across an array of areas – economic, energy independence, national security, climate, and energy accessibility. Nations that enact policy aligned with industry will be the first to benefit. With good policy, governments can accelerate the timeline that the unrivaled promise of fusion — energy that is clean, abundant, efficient, and secure — is brought to their marketplace.

Commercializing Fusion Energy charts three primary courses of action: harness public-private partnerships; ensure predictable regulatory regimes; and level the playing field.

• Harness public-private partnerships
  When faced with a challenge that requires long-term deployment of capital and political stability, a public-private partnership (PPP) structured properly can be among the most powerful tools in modern society. National flexibility of PPP concepts ensures that such an agreement could be custom-built to meet the mission needs of fusion, harnessing the decades of fusion research experience in government programs and combining that expertise with the ambitions and nimbleness of the private sector. The over $6.2b invested in private fusion companies worldwide is a clear demonstrated interest of investment firms in fusion technologies. Generating robust PPPs focused on deploying fusion power and bolstering supply chains, backed with government support in multiple forms, would give investors and suppliers the confidence needed to back fusion firms at a higher level, and allow fusion firms to accelerate their timelines.
  
• Ensure predictable regulatory regimes
  Regulatory certainty is a necessary condition for commercialization of fusion power. For investors and companies to deploy capital and commit to commercialization timelines, they need confidence in the regulatory frameworks established by government. This is critical for the siting and construction of pilot projects and commercial-scale facilities in any sector, not just fusion. Fusion needs specific, clear regulations that are entirely separate from nuclear fission. The two processes are fundamentally different, with vastly different risks, hazards, and safety profiles. In order to deploy and scale, fusion needs regulatory treatment that is right-sized to the technology, and not tied to legacy fission regulations as a default.
  
• Level the playing field
  Governments understand the importance of clean energy, and have showered these industries with subsidies and other incentives. It is imperative that fusion energy technologies receive fair treatment alongside other clean energy sources. With shared goals of bolstering energy security, combating climate change, and advancing human health, fusion has the potential to make an important impression, but it needs the same subsidies to compete.

Enacting policy well-aligned with the quickly growing fusion industry is paramount for countries hoping to position themselves as sites for early deployers and adopters. The global stage for fusion will be set by those that effectively align public and private sectors, solidify appropriate regulatory frameworks, and include fusion on a level clean energy playing field.

The full paper is below and available for download.

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The report outlines opportunities for investment and areas of Canadian strengths to capitalize on. Importantly, it calls for next steps: “key fusion ecosystem players to sit down with the government to discuss, adapt and enhance the preliminary strategy roadmap.”

The FIA applauds CNL and all involved for their work in fostering greater national efforts supporting fusion commercialization, and stands ready to support.

The vision
Fusion as a source of safe, clean, affordable energy — providing opportunities for a resilient, lowcarbon future, positioning Canada as a global leader and supplier of fusion technologies and services,
and enabling a high standard of living for Canadians.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

You can read the roadmap summary below.

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The committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 2025 that includes:

1. An assessment of the technology readiness levels of fusion power technologies currently in development, including compact and modular approaches,
2. An assessment of the potential for compact modular fusion power technologies to address needs and challenges described in the National Defense Strategy and other relevant strategic guidance documents,
3. An assessment of fusion power technologies under development by adversaries or strategic competitors of the United States, and
4. An identification of key supporting activities for and pacing challenges to the adoption of compact fusion power technologies responsive to Department of Defense needs.

Below is the excerpt on fusion; you can read the full Report below.

Compact fusion energy sources

The committee notes with interest the announcement by the Defense Innovation Unit on May 17, 2022, regarding accelerated ground and flight testing for compact fusion energy sources for on-orbit power. The committee believes that compact fusion power technologies, if matured to an appropriate level, could provide significant advantages to the Department of Defense. The committee likewise notes ongoing progress made by the Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office on Project Pele, an effort to design, build, and demonstrate a prototype mobile nuclear fission reactor. In particular, the committee is monitoring with interest the work done by Project Pele to demonstrate the ability of mobile nuclear power generation technologies to comply fully with all relevant regulations and statutory requirements, satisfy stakeholder concerns, and operate safely in real-world conditions. The committee believes that such pathfinder efforts could ultimately prove beneficial for eventual adoption and deployment of compact fusion capabilities. Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than March 1, 2025, that includes: (1) an assessment of the technology readiness levels of fusion power technologies currently in development, including compact and modular approaches; (2) an assessment of the potential for compact modular fusion power technologies to address needs and challenges described in the National Defense Strategy and other relevant strategic guidance documents; (3) an assessment of fusion power technologies under development by adversaries or strategic competitors of the United States; and (4) an identification of key supporting activities for and pacing challenges to the adoption of compact fusion power technologies responsive to Department of Defense needs.

Report of the Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives on H.R. 8070

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“Fusion energy technology has the potential to provide a lasting solution to the global challenges of climate change and energy security. We will promote international collaborations to accelerate the development and demonstration of fusion plants to foster private investments and public engagement. With this aim, we commit to establishing a G7 Working Group on Fusion Energy. We will also work towards consistent approaches to fusion regulations. To enhance cooperation in this field, we welcome Italy and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s decision to host in Rome the inaugural ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group.”

– G7 Leaders’ Communiqué

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The vision is broken down into the following elements:

• Workforce Development and Sustainment
  •  Establish a talented and diverse workforce is crucial to ensure the U.S. is prepared when commercially available fusion is ready for the grid. 
• Bridging Gaps
  • Create hubs of innovation with universities, labs, and industry to propel scientific developments and breakthroughs further.
• Transformational Science
  • Support groundbreaking discoveries in plasma science and technology to drive innovation.

To achieve the vision and its elements, FES delineates three strategic actions: 1. building a U.S. Fusion Science & Technology (FS&T) Roadmap, 2. establishing Fusion Innovation Research Engine Ecosystems, and 3. helping develop a public-private consortium framework supporting fusion energy development. These actions will be supported by public-private partnerships and international collaboration to align expertise.

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FIRE will form teams of government facilities, academia, and industry to address technical challenges on the road to commercial fusion development. By creating an environment of collaboration, innovation, and shared goals, these Collaboratives aim to accelerate the transition of scientific discoveries into commercial fusion applications.

Below is the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Pre-applications are due July 9, 2024.

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By pooling resources and knowledge from diverse groups, the PPCF could significantly accelerate fusion research and developments, fund greater collaboration between public and private entities, foster innovation, and form effective partnerships.

“A PPCF is needed at this time to achieve the pace of R&D and project delivery with the required funding within the United States (U.S.) Bold Decadal Vision (BDV) timeframe.”

Fusion Energy Public-Private Consortium Framework

The DOE is actively seeking input to refine the PPCF framework. Responses must be submitted by July 22, 2024.

A webinar on the framework is open to all on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 3-4 p.m. ET. Register to join here: https://science-doe.zoomgov.com/​webinar/​register/​WN_​8eAg3pUVSZC3vKiF7pycFw.

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Fusion power is baseload, clean, dispatchable, and does not rely on constrained natural resources. With fusion power, we can mitigate climate change, achieve energy justice, allow every country to become energy independent, increase global energy accessibility, and harness an enormous economic opportunity.

In addition, our manifesto explains how fusion is different from nuclear fission as fusion does not create any long-lived radioactive waste.

Our manifesto highlights three key messages for EU institutions and European governments:

The FIA and its members are advocating for a risk-appropriate legal and regulatory framework that protects public health and safety while maximising the benefits of the technology and ensuring both durability and regulatory agility. Such a framework will give investors, customers, consumers, and neighbours confidence in the technology and increase social acceptance.

Such a regulatory decision by European leadership would best support the emerging European fusion industry. Enhanced by a European Fusion Strategy, this would provide the necessary regulatory certainty to attract further developers and investors.

The FIA looks forward to continuing a constructive cooperation with EU institutions and stakeholders to ensure Europe is a global leader in commercial fusion energy. 

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