Expert panel confirms design concept for fusion power plant from Gauss Fusion

The European greentech company Gauss Fusion has reached a key milestone on the way to a commercial fusion power plant: an independent international panel of experts has successfully completed its review of the Conceptual Design Report (CDR) for the planned fusion power plant.

Experts review European fusion concept

Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Hartmut Zohm from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), 13 European fusion and industry experts reviewed the design concept of Gauss Fusion. The review took place after the CDR was handed over to the German government in October 2025.

Gauss Fusion has developed a consistent concept at plant level and has followed a systematic approach that clearly reflects an industrial mindset.

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Zohm, Chair of the Expert Panel

The CDR represents the first fully integrated European design concept for a commercial fusion power plant and forms the technical basis for Gauss Fusion's so-called GIGA power plant.

Focus on consistency, integration and industrial feasibility

The assessment was based on the criteria of a classic concept phase: among other things, the overall architecture of the power plant, the interfaces between the systems and the plausibility of central technical solutions were examined.

The panel of experts particularly praised Gauss Fusion's holistic, systems engineering approach. Instead of isolated individual technologies, the company pursues a comprehensive plant perspective, as is familiar from established industrial projects.

Technical basis for political and industrial decisions

The completion of the assessment comes at a time when Germany and Europe are significantly increasing their ambitions in the field of fusion energy. Following Chancellor Friedrich Merz's announcement that Germany is to build the world's first fusion power plant, the question of a reliable technical basis is becoming increasingly important.

With the successful completion of the international assessment, a fully tested design concept for a commercial fusion power plant in Europe is now available for the first time. It is now up to the German government to facilitate the next step by providing a clear framework and making swift decisions.

Milena Roveda, CEO Gauss Fusion

Gauss Fusion's design concept provides a consistent starting point for this and underlines the need for a clear political framework, regulated responsibilities and rapid decision-making processes.

Transition from the design phase to the engineering phase

For Gauss Fusion, the completion of the review marks the formal transition to the engineering phase. In future, the focus will be on further increasing design maturity, validating key assumptions, developing and qualifying prototypes and deepening system integration.

At the same time, specific industrialization paths for the subsequent construction of power plants will be developed together with industrial partners.

Gauss Fusion is a European energy company working on the development and industrialization of fusion energy. The company was founded in 2022 by private industrial companies from Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Gauss Fusion combines industrial know-how from the development and production of technical systems with scientific expertise in the field of fusion research.

The company works together with various European research institutions, including CERN, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, ENEA in Italy and TU Eindhoven. The aim is to develop the technical basis for the long-term use of fusion energy in Europe.