For several years now, there have been signs of a “race” among several countries in the field of nuclear fusion. The participants include the U.S., China, Japan, the U.K., France, and Germany. Although it’s still a topic of research, the joke about the “fusion constant” (fusion is always 20 years away) is hardly ever told anymore. Instead, there’s a growing conviction that it will happen sooner.

Lasers or magnets—which path leads to success?

The fact that it’s still a research topic is also evident from the fact that two alternative methods are competing against each other and the race is wide open:

• On the one hand, there is laser fusion, in which a high-power laser heats a fuel pellet, thereby triggering the fusion reaction. A technical breakthrough occurred here in December 2022 in California, when researchers succeeded for the first time in extracting more energy from the fusion reaction than was input by the laser beam.
• On the other hand, there is magnetic fusion, in which an extremely hot hydrogen plasma is confined between magnets as it circles along a path and continues to heat up (to over 100 million degrees) until the fusion reaction begins. The world’s most advanced test facility for this is the Wendelstein 7X stellarator in Greifswald.

A First: Thinking from the Power Plant’s Perspective

Of the four German fusion startups, two are working on laser fusion and two on magnetic fusion. To date, Germany has been primarily involved in magnetic fusion and is a global leader in this field, with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics playing a key role. According to its action plan, the federal government intends to support both technological approaches in the future and also aims to establish the infrastructure for laser fusion that has been lacking until now.

Another new development is emerging: While fusion research has so far been primarily a topic for physicists and took place, so to speak, “only in the lab,” power plant builders are now being involved for the first time in its further development. On the path to a concrete fusion power plant, it is crucial to think about fusion “from the perspective of the power plant” and to gain a holistic view of the topic of electricity generation through fusion.

The federal government is part of this momentum: Action Plan …

The “traffic light” coalition government had already made decisive strides in advancing fusion. For instance, in the summer of 2023, there was a fusion symposium at the BDI, jointly hosted by Federal Research Minister Stark-Watzinger and BDI President Russwurm. The new government is building on this and taking it a step further: In the coalition agreement of May 2025, it announced the following goal: “The world’s first fusion reactor is to be located in Germany.” With its action plan *Germany on the Path to a Fusion Powerfrom October 2025, it builds on this and sets the bar high for its ambitions: The goal is to establish Germany as an energy producer and export nation in the fusion sector. The federal government intends to promote the development of a “fusion ecosystem” comprising science and industry and, as part of the “Fusion 2040” funding program, to increase public funding to a total of 1.7 billion euros during this legislative term.

… and a new legal framework.

Before a fusion power plant can be built, a suitable legal framework is needed to approve its construction. Such a framework also sends an important signal to international investors that there is legal and planning certainty in Germany regarding this issue.
It was clear to experts early on that this legal framework could not be the Atomic Energy Act. The technology and risk profiles of fusion and nuclear fission are too different; incorporating fusion into the Atomic Energy Act would create a misleading impression. The federal government’s action plan now calls for regulation under the Radiation Protection Act; the legislative process is scheduled to be carried out and completed in 2026.