Overview
- Partners plan the stellarator demonstrator “Alpha” near the Max Planck Institute in Garching as the first step toward grid-scale fusion.
- Bavaria pledges up to €400 million contingent on Berlin’s participation, Proxima Fusion targets roughly €400 million from private investors, and RWE signals willingness to contribute.
- Total costs for Alpha are estimated at about €2 billion, with project backers seeking roughly €1.2 billion in federal funding that has not yet been approved.
- IPP will lead scientifically while Proxima oversees engineering, procurement and construction, with RWE contributing operator expertise and potential reuse of existing infrastructure and suppliers such as Bilfinger, Siemens Energy and Trumpf engaged.
- A largely identical commercial plant called “Stellaris” is planned for the former Gundremmingen nuclear site later in the 2030s, as critics from Greenpeace, the Greens and SPD lawmakers question feasibility, timelines and spending priorities.