Gauss Fusion, a European deeptech founded in 2022 by an alliance of five private companies from Italy, Germany, Spain and France, announces the operational start of Phase Two of its technology plan to develop the superconducting magnets needed for nuclear fusion reactors. The project, carried out in collaboration with ENEA and ICAS (an ENEA spin-off), is part of a pan-European programme that aims to demonstrate within the next 20 years that nuclear fusion is technically feasible and sustainable as an energy source.
Gauss Fusion is the result of an alliance between Malacalza-ASG Superconductors through Hofima (Italy), Bruker EAS and RI Research Instruments (Germany), Idom (Spain) and Alsymex-Alcen (France). Supported by European research institutes such as CERN, ENEA, Max Planck Institute, KIT, Eindhoven University and Technische Universität München, its mission is to transform fusion into a concrete, sustainable and affordable industrial solution, guaranteeing security and energy independence for future European generations.
Having completed the conceptual design of the plant systems between 2023 and 2025, Gauss Fusion now enters the technical design and engineering validation phase. At the heart of this new stage is the strategic collaboration with ENEA and ICAS for the development of HTS (high temperature superconductor) cables, capable of operating in extreme magnetic field and temperature conditions. The first prototypes are being tested in ENEA’s laboratories and represent a new generation of conductors that are more stable, efficient and less energy-intensive, with a reinforced architecture to ensure durability under prolonged electromagnetic stress.
In parallel, together with ICAS, Gauss Fusion is developing low-temperature superconductor (LTS) cables based on Nb₃Sn, an established technology already used in various fusion and high-energy physics projects. These conductors guarantee reliability and capacitance up to 100 kA, representing an industrially applicable development. HTS and LTS are not alternatives, but complementary solutions. LTS cables offer reliability and stability on already mature technologies, while HTS pave the way for a new generation of more efficient systems. Working on both fronts allows Gauss Fusion to build a complete supply chain ready to face different challenges with tailor-made solutions.
In 2024, Gauss Fusion received EUR 10 million in funding from the German government for the further development of magnetic technology, as part of a broader public-private investment aimed at consolidating European leadership in the field. Activities are being developed in synergy between Italy, Germany and the other project partner countries.
Phase Two will accompany the evolution of the first prototypes and the expansion of industrial and territorial partnerships in view of the subsequent engineering phase of the different plant systems. The ongoing study entrusted to the Technical University of Munich is also analysing European sites, including some Italian ones, for the possible location of future plants.
“In a global context where the US and China are investing significant resources to lead the energy revolution, Europe has the scientific and industrial excellence to play a leading role. Gauss Fusion aims to build the first 1 GW facility based on magnetic confinement fusion and deploy the first generation of fusion plants to meet Europe’s energy needs. It is crucial to act now in order not to risk being excluded from this crucial innovation. In collaboration with ENEA and ICAS, we are intensifying our efforts in the development and testing of key technologies to demonstrate the viability and sustainability of nuclear fusion within the next two decades,’ says Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion (pictured), in a statement.
“ENEA contributes with its expertise of excellence in the field of superconductivity to the Gauss Fusion project, in particular with the development of innovative and high-performance HTS superconducting cables. In the fusion energy sector, ENEA plays a major role not only in the development of innovative technologies but also in the transfer of knowledge and skills to companies, with the aim of fostering their innovation capacity and competitiveness. ENEA’s collaboration with Gauss Fusion is an example of a partnership between public research and private industry, which is necessary to successfully tackle the scientific and technological challenges of fusion energy in global competition,’ says Giorgio Graditi, ENEA’s Director General.
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