German Chancellor announced plans to build world’s first fusion power plant in the country
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced his intention to build the world’s first fusion power plant in Germany, sb.by reports
According to TASS, during a speech at the country’s chambers of commerce and industry congress, Mr. Merz stated, “In the long term, Germany will need to increase its energy supply to stabilise and, if possible, reduce energy prices. To accomplish this, we are focusing on new gas power plants that will complement the development of renewable energy sources, which we fully support.”
He noted that on May 13th, the German Сabinet will approve a power plant development strategy and ‘thereby initiate tenders for the construction of new gas-fired power plants in Germany, which are expected to provide the grid’s base load’.
“We aim to construct the world’s first fusion power plant in Germany,” the Chancellor underlined.
“At the Hanover Industrial Fair two weeks ago, it became clear that this goal is not utopian but quite achievable, and Germany is undoubtedly among the leaders in this area of scientific research,” he added.
On March 15th, Bavarian State Minister-President Markus Söder announced plans to pursue a project to build a small modular nuclear reactor in the region and stressed the importance of using fusion technology. He also proposed that nuclear waste could serve as fuel.
The decision to gradually phase out nuclear power plants in Germany was made in 2011 under Chancellor Angela Merkel, following the Fukushima-1 nuclear disaster in Japan.
