The European Greentech sector made significant progress in the clean energy race. Gauss Fusion revealed its Conceptual Design Report (CDR), which outlines plans for the continent’s first commercial fusion power plant called GIGA.
This announcement places the company at the forefront of Europe’s green energy effort.
Developed over three years with support from industrial partners across Europe, the CDR consists of over 1,000 pages of technical information. The report carefully addresses all essential systems required for the first fusion power plant, including design concepts, safety measures, radioactive waste management, and operational processes.
The report assesses the necessary first-of-a-kind technologies. Gauss Fusion researchers estimate that it will cost between €15 billion and €18 billion ($17 billion to $20 billion) to bring the first commercial reactor online by the mid-2040s. To reduce risks, the company plans to apply proven practices in project management, such as proactive risk management and the regular use of key performance indicators.
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Gauss Fusion describes its mission as the “Eurofighter for Fusion.” In essence, it is a collaborative program across Europe that aims to harness the continent’s industrial expertise and supply chain capacity.
This alliance brings together leading engineering and research institutions from across Europe.
The group consists of the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) in Italy, Assystem in France, IDOM in Spain, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. This growing base is using techniques from the aerospace industry, employing concurrent engineering to speed up design by having different teams work simultaneously.
Ultimately, the CDR represents a pivotal moment, shifting the focus from abstract scientific promise to concrete industrial strategy.
“Our Conceptual Design Report is the culmination of three years of work to turn the promise of fusion into GIGA – a credible and practical, concept-level power plant design,” said Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion. “It demonstrates that Europe’s industry has the capabilities needed to move from vision to engineering reality.”
