New fusion initiative begins in Germany

Two German institutions-the University of Rostock and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) research center-have come together to launch HEDI: The High Energy Density Initiative. The initiative will serve as a fusion research hub to investigate the physical processes and extreme conditions associated with nuclear fusion.

HEDI's research into the behavior of matter at extremely high temperatures and pressures is expected to have applications for future inertial confinement fusion energy projects as well as for basic astronomical knowledge.

Laying the scientific foundation: In announcing the initiative, University of Rostock professor Ronald Redmer, one of HEDI's founding directors, said, "The major challenges of fusion research can only be overcome through a deep understanding of the properties of matter under extreme conditions. HEDI creates the scientific foundation needed to answer these questions."

Redmer and HEDI's other founding director, University of Rostock professor Dominik Kraus, have already organized their first research teams and begun some international projects. Kraus observed that HEDI's "unique combination of theoretical expertise, state-of-the-art experiments, and large-scale international research facilities . . . can unravel the properties of matter under extreme conditions. In doing so, we are not only contributing to basic research but also generating important knowledge for the development of future fusion power plants."

As part of HEDI, a new Institute of High-Energy-Density Physics has been established by HZDR at its site in Rostock. It is being funded jointly by the German government as well as the state governments of Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Construction of a new facility for this institute is expected to be completed in 2030.

Other partners: Along with the University of Rostock and HZDR, other HEDI collaborators include the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility; the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space's (BMFTR) Fusion 2040 program; the Munich-based company Marvel Fusion; and several international partners.

Marvel Fusion is also participating in the development and funding of a laser-based fusion and advanced materials research facility at Colorado State University. The 77,626-square-foot Advanced Technology Lasers for Applications and Science facility, on which construction began in 2024, is expected to be mostly completed in Fort Collins by the end of this year.

Experimental and theoretical expertise: At a ceremony marking the launch of HEDI on June 18, BMFTR Minister Dorothee Bär explained that the initiative "will investigate what happens to the fuel under the extreme conditions of laser fusion. To achieve this, outstanding experimental and theoretical expertise must be brought together across state borders and in cooperation with the federal government."

Other officials participating in the ceremony included Saxony Minister-President Michael Kretschmer and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Minister-President Manuela Schwesig. Kretschmer said that "Saxony is a strong center for science and research, with excellent universities and research institutions. Fusion research offers tremendous opportunities for a secure, climate-neutral, and long-term energy supply."

Schwesig added, "We need the energy transition and renewable energies to protect the environment and to be independent in energy production. At the same time, it makes sense to continue researching alternatives. This includes exploring the various possibilities of fusion research. It's a positive development that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony are pooling their expertise in energy research through a new research initiative."