Could fusion energy save Europe from the energy crisis?

⭐ Join our community and access the best we offer!

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Amid the global energy shock triggered by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, European policymakers are increasingly exploring nuclear fusion as a potential long-term solution to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels

🔭 The context: The conflict affecting oil flows has pushed energy security back to the top of Europe’s agenda
• While renewables and traditional nuclear power remain central to the transition, startups such as Proxima Fusion — a spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics — are advancing experimental fusion technologies
• Unlike most projects, which rely on tokamaks such as those used in ITER, the company is developing stellarators, devices designed to keep plasma stable for continuous fusion reactions

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Fusion energy could provide massive amounts of clean electricity with no direct CO₂ emissions and minimal long-lived radioactive waste
• It offers a potentially transformative energy source
• If commercialized, it could help decarbonize power systems while improving energy independence in regions with limited natural resources

⏭️ What’s next: Proxima Fusion is building a demonstration device called Alpha, expected to operate in the early 2030s
• The company’s longer-term goal is Stellaris, a commercial fusion power plant planned for the late 2030s in Germany, supported by government investment of more than €2 billion in fusion research by 2029.

💬 One quote: “Fusion offers a spectacular economic opportunity for Europe because of our need for sovereignty and lack of natural resources,” - Francesco Sciortino

📈 One stat: According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, fusion could generate four times more energy per kilogram of fuel than nuclear fission and nearly four million times more than burning oil or coal

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance — carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies

Click for more news covering the latest on nuclear energy