SCI-FI-TEK 70 YRS IN THE MAKING
USA sets out roadmap for fusion commercialisation
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Developed with input from more than 600 scientists, engineers, and industry stakeholders, the roadmap aims to identify the key research, materials, and technology gaps that must be closed to realise a fusion pilot plant (FPP) and strengthen US leadership in the global fusion industry.
The Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) Roadmap establishes a unified strategy for the US fusion industry built around three primary drivers: build critical infrastructure to close fusion materials and technology gaps; innovate through advanced research, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence; and grow the US fusion ecosystem through public-private partnerships, regional manufacturing hubs, and workforce development.
"With more than USD9 billion in private investment already advancing burning-plasma demonstrations and prototype reactor designs, DOE is coordinating a national effort to close the remaining technical gaps - spanning materials, plasma systems, fuel cycles, and plant engineering," the department said. "Through the Build–Innovate–Grow strategy, DOE and its partners across national laboratories, industry, universities, and allied nations are strengthening domestic supply chains, advancing fusion science, and securing America's leadership in the race to deliver commercial fusion energy. The roadmap outlines DOE's plan to address these challenges through coordinated investments in six core fusion science and technology areas: structural materials, plasma-facing components, confinement systems, fuel cycle, blankets, and plant engineering and integration."
DOE said the roadmap is strongly aligned to the 2020 Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) Long-Range Plan (LRP). The roadmap combines the FESAC LRP critical science drivers with a revamped FES public programme in the DOE Office of Science to "define a new era of US fusion energy leadership". The department said this era is characterised by strong alignment between the public sector roadmap and the private sector's stated ambitions to deliver fusion power on an aggressive timeline and is increasingly enabled and accelerated by the revolutionary potential of artificial intelligence-fusion convergence. The roadmap defines key actions to be executed in the near-term (next 2-3 years), mid-term (3-5 years) and long-term (5-10 years), aligned to the Build-Innovate-Grow strategy and to the LRP science drivers.
"Taken together, the roadmap key actions set the course for strategic actions and capability delivery necessary to support a world-leading US fusion ecosystem, while the Technical Roadmap Metrics and Milestones will track progress and ensure these actions are aligned with closing critical scientific and technical challenges progressing toward fusion commercialisation," the roadmap says.
"This approach enables the public programme to remain nimble and prioritise resources with decisions that may require pivoting as fusion developers accelerate towards their technology roadmaps and viable fusion power plant designs, while suppliers advance their innovations, supporting a growing fusion power industry in the US."
DOE said its ability to support this roadmap's milestones and timelines of scaling up the domestic fusion private sector by the 2030s is "contingent on the development of future public private partnerships. This roadmap is not committing DOE to specific funding levels, and future funding will be subject to Congressional appropriations".
The department said the roadmap advances President Donald Trump's Executive Order Unleashing American Energy, reinforcing the Administration's commitment to expand domestic energy production and restore US energy dominance. "By accelerating progress toward commercial fusion power, DOE is strengthening America's grid, rebuilding critical supply chains, and securing a new era of abundant, reliable, American-made energy."
"The Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap brings unprecedented coordination across America's fusion enterprise," said Energy Department Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil. "For the first time, DOE, industry, and our National Labs will be aligned with a shared purpose - to accelerate the path to commercial fusion power and strengthen America's leadership in energy innovation. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, the Department is streamlining the full strength of the US scientific and industrial base to deliver fusion energy faster than ever before."
Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of DOE’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, added: "Fusion is real, near, and ready for coordinated action. This roadmap provides the strategic foundation for building the scientific, technical, and industrial base needed to ensure American leadership in commercial fusion on an ambitious timeline."
EUROfusion and ITER strengthen scientific cooperation with new agreement
Contract will foster material research and training
EUROfusion
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“EUROfusion Programme Manager Gianfranco Federici (right) and ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi sign the cooperation agreement at the IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China.” Credit: ITER Organisation
view moreCredit: ITER Organization
The new agreement, signed by EUROfusion Programme Manager Gianfranco Federici and ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, establishes a framework for a more targeted and coordinated European contribution to ITER over the next two years.
The collaboration focuses on three initial Implementing Agreements:
Support for the design of the ITER first wall,
Development of tungsten coating techniques for stainless steel wall components,
Joint initiatives in training and education to prepare the next generation of fusion specialists.
Beyond these first steps, the agreement opens the door for joint activities in research, engineering, data exchange, and knowledge management — all aimed at ensuring a smooth transition from ITER’s construction to operation.
Gianfranco Federici, EUROfusion Programme Manager said:
“This agreement marks a new level of partnership between EUROfusion and ITER. It allows us to focus European expertise where it matters most — supporting ITER as the world’s flagship for fusion energy.”
Pietro Barabaschi, ITER Director-General said:
The ITER project and EUROfusion have a long history of working together. The agreement today is important because it formalizes that cooperation. I am very grateful that EUROfusion is ready to deploy resources to ITER. As I said at the conference today, ITER is facility for the community and EUROfusion represents the fusion community in Europe.
Richard Kamendje, EUROfusion International Collaborations Manager said:
“The agreement is about enabling EUROfusion to provide additional support to the ITER project by looking into issues that have been raised because of the rebaselining. And what we are trying to do here in particular here is to provide support to design of in-vessel components in particular the first wall and this is crutial right now for ITER for the integrity of the facility. Basically the agreement lasts as long as needed but the idea is that we’d like to kick in as quickly as possible activities and actions and we have actually started working on this. We have dedicated teams visited ITER, working with ITER experts and the idea is just to frame to this collabroation framework. – Richard Kamendje, International Collaborations Manager, EUROfusion. ”
The cooperation reinforces Europe’s leading role in the global fusion landscape, ensuring that scientific expertise, training, and technological innovation continue to advance hand in hand with ITER’s development.
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