Event Announcement News

Biblis to Become Laser Fusion Hub Focused Energy advances plan to build the world’s first commercial laser fusion power plant at the former Biblis nuclear power station

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space has selected Biblis to become the home of the national laser fusion hub as part of the “Fusion 2040” program and Germany’s High-Tech Agenda. The decision places Focused Energy and Biblis at the center of Germany’s drive to commercialize fusion energy and is a clear vote of confidence by the German government. At the former Biblis nuclear power station, Focused Energy plans to build the world’s first commercial laser fusion power plant by the mid-2030s. Biblis will also anchor a new Fusion Industrialization Campus designed to move laser fusion out of the laboratory and into industrial deployment. The announcement marks a defining moment for Focused Energy, the Biblis region, and Germany’s fusion ambitions. It brings together the site, infrastructure, scientific expertise, industrial partners, and private investment needed to turn a historic energy location into the birthplace of a new energy era. Thomas Forner, CEO and co-founder of Focused Energy: “Affordable energy is the bottleneck of the 21st century. The availability of low-cost, clean energy will determine where industry develops. For us, fusion is therefore not a technology for short-term political headlines, but rather for the long-term securing of clean, reliable, and affordable energy. That is precisely why the hub in Biblis is so important: It not only strengthens research and technological development but also creates the industrial foundation for a new energy infrastructure. Fusion is finding a home in Biblis.” Hub Connects Federal States and Stakeholders The laser fusion hub is one of three national fusion hubs. Alongside the laser fusion hub, two further hubs will focus on magnetic fusion as well as the fuel cycle and materials development. Together, the three hubs are intended to bring research, industry and infrastructure closer together and significantly accelerate the technological maturity of fusion. The application for the laser fusion hub was jointly submitted by Focused Energy and Marvel Fusion and supported by the federal states of Hesse, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Further partners from research, academia and industry, including leading companies from the photonics and power plant industries as well as nearly 20 scientific partners, are contributing to the establishment of the hub. The hub brings together regional sites and expertise: Biblis will be home to the industrial focus, with the Fusion Industrialization Campus. The Fusion R&D Campus in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein will complement it with key expertise in research and development. A broad satellite network of research institutions in other federal states will further expand the hub. Positive Impact for the Region and Industry RWE’s former nuclear power plant site in Biblis offers a unique combination of existing industrial infrastructure and available space for expansion. This gives the site ideal conditions for establishing the hub and further developing laser fusion industrially. RWE is supporting Focused Energy as an industrial partner with infrastructure and expertise in regulatory approvals. The associated time and cost advantages will help secure Germany a leading position in international competition. The Fusion Industrialization Campus will establish the nucleus of a future laser fusion ecosystem in Biblis. It will connect cutting-edge research, small and medium-sized enterprises and deep-tech companies at an early stage, build value creation and supply chains, and drive the transfer of technology into industrial applications. In addition to Focused Energy, regional partners of the hub include TU Darmstadt and GSI, among others. Focused Energy plans to make private investments of €200 million in Biblis over the next two years and around €500 million by 2030. Regional suppliers and industrial partners will benefit from the new development, as will research institutions and skilled workers: high-quality jobs and new industrial value creation will emerge around the future-oriented field of fusion energy. Just a few weeks ago, Focused Energy raised US$240 million in what was the largest fully secured Series A financing round to date in the global fusion sector. Boris Rhein, Minister-President of Hesse : “Hessen is set to become home to the world's first laser fusion hub. I'm convinced that nuclear fusion can be a game-changer in energy supply. The fusion hub in Biblis is a decisive step in our efforts to establish Hessen as a leading location for cutting-edge research and development in laser-based nuclear fusion. The energy of the future is being built in Hessen.” About Focused Energy Focused Energy is a German-American fusion company headquartered in Darmstadt, with offices in Berlin, Austin and San Francisco. Founded in 2021 out of the TU Darmstadt ecosystem, the company employs around 200 leading scientists and engineers from more than 30 nations. Its goal is to advance fusion technology from research to industrial application and, together with partners from industry and academia, build the world’s first laser fusion power plant in Biblis by the mid-2030s. As the world’s leading laser fusion company, Focused Energy pursues a consistently industry-oriented approach: building on decades of international fusion research and the technological expertise of its founders, the company combines scientific excellence with the speed and scalability of a privately financed high-tech company. Fusion is a future-oriented technology with significant potential to create new value structures and enable a climate-neutral, safe, reliable and affordable energy supply. In fusion, hydrogen nuclei combine at extremely high temperatures to form helium. This releases enormous amounts of energy: one gram of fusion fuel provides an amount of energy comparable to around eleven tons of coal. https://www.focused-energy.co Press Contact Patrick Rothwell Fink & Fuchs AG Berliner Straße 164 D-65205 Wiesbaden +49 163 - 74 13 103 [email protected]