Proxima Fusion, a Germany-based fusion startup, announced on Wednesday its plans to build a €140 million factory dedicated to producing fusion-grade high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape. This tape is a vital component for the company's reactor designs, used to generate powerful magnetic fields that contain the plasma needed for fusion reactions.
The factory's development comes months after Proxima Fusion secured €411 million in a funding round. The project will be financed through a combination of public and private funds, with the state of Lower Saxony contributing €21 million.
HTS tape emerged over a decade ago as a significant breakthrough, enabling the current generation of fusion power startups. Its ability to create strong magnetic fields at relatively high temperatures allows for smaller and more efficient reactor designs. Proxima's demonstration plant will require 20,000 kilometers of HTS tape, with its commercial power plant needing twice that amount. Currently, the majority of HTS tape is manufactured in China and Japan.