“Check against delivery”
Director-General Grossi,
Minister Tajani,
Minister Pichetto Fratin,
Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning.
It’s an honour to intervene today, here in Rome, at the Inaugural Ministerial Meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group. Let me first thank Prime Minister Meloni for hosting this event as part of the Italian G7 Presidency and Director General Grossi for organising it.
I’m especially thrilled to see here so many representatives of governments, but also fusion organisations, research institutes, CEOs of fusion start-ups. This timely initiative brings us together at a critical moment in the pursuit of fusion energy.
The catastrophic floods in Valencia last week, with the loss of so many lives, and before that, the heavy rains in Central Europe, drought in Africa, tornados in the Americas – these are all distress signals our planet is sending about an incoming climate crisis.
Climate change is unfolding even faster and more severely than was forecasted. Scientists are warning us that we may be close to tipping points, where our planet will unleash forces of nature beyond our control. We know that this unfolding crisis is the result of the unabated use of fossil fuels and the emission of superpollutants from various economic activities.
And at the same time, the world needs more energy. To grow, to prosper, to evolve. We need this energy to be clean, and to be safe. Nuclear fusion can provide that.
As you know, the EU is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. We have a legal framework in place to achieve 2030 targets.
Renewables energy are at the centre of it, with an important role too for nuclear energy. But we need to look further.
The Commission’s 2040 Target Plan – published last February – sets the EU on course for an electricity sector where over 90% of power will be generated from zero emission sources.
And the more we advance into the next two decades, even with the rapid growth of renewables and the use of conventional nuclear energy, we will need a new generation of energy sources to meet our needs.
The EU has no choice. We must innovate. We must evolve. We must harness the revolutionary power of fusion energy.
For the EU, fusion is a game-changing, clean, safe source of energy that can help us power our future and be an ideal complement to renewables.
Fusion could be an alternative that avoids reliance on fossil fuels and power the world’s growth, Including for emerging economies with their expanding populations and rising energy needs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The reason I am here today is very simple. Europe wants to be a global leader in fusion energy development. We have invested systematically in this for many years. The EU supports nuclear fusion through our Euratom research and training programme. We are contributing to advancing nuclear fusion, mainly through the European ITER programme, to which the European Union is the main contributor, with EUR 5.6 billion earmarked for this until 2027.
ITER is the world’s most ambitious international fusion research project. It aims to bring to reality one of the most sophisticated machines ever built — an experimental fusion device akin to a power plant.
It represents our best shot at a full-scale demonstration that fusion can be a viable energy source. Achieving this is critical to pave the way from technological development to working fusion reactors.
But it’s not just a scientific experiment. It’s also spurring innovation, sparking a wave of start-ups. It’s a hub of expertise in fusion, crucial for fostering industrial capabilities and nurturing a robust fusion supply chain.
That said, ITER is just the tip of the iceberg. Around it there is a network of scientists, researchers, laboratories, companies. A private sector investing to develop fusion technologies and take them out of the labs and into the market, to make a business case for fusion.
The good news is that after decades of effort, we are getting closer to a breakthrough.
There has been spectacular progress on the road towards fusion energy, with experiments producing net energy gains from fusion. I have witnessed myself the JT 6O SA experiment in Japan, a product of EU-Japan cooperation.
Investment, public and private is pouring into this sector. But our EU experience tell us that much more needs to be done, in Europe and at global level.
Let me briefly highlight the key factors that, from the EU point of view, will be vital for advancing fusion further:
First, fusion should attract investors and be deployed and scaled up by industry. To get there, we need a supportive environment that encourages science-industry partnerships and private investment. International collaboration will be key to commercialising fusion energy, and the IAEA’s World Fusion Energy Group is a step in the right direction.
Second, we need an appropriate fusion-specific regulatory framework. This will ensure safety of fusion installations and make the environment more predictable for developers and operators.
Third, engaging with the public is essential — we need their trust as we move forward.
Fourth, investing in fusion education and training is crucial for creating a skilled workforce.
These are the ideas that as European Union we want to bring to the table.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fusion technology is one of the most complex scientific tasks ever undertaken. The path to fusion energy is not a path to be travelled by a single country, organisation or private initiative. It’s a team effort.
Fusion energy is a symbol of what humanity can achieve if we collaborate and work as partners. The EU is working on some promising projects.
The US and UK have both made announcements about their prospects of harnessing fusion in the next decade.
China has a very ambitious fusion programme. Japan has established its own fusion strategy. India, South Korea are part of the ITER project.
In a world torn by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, a world that risks to be fragmented by a global race for supremacy in clean technologies, fusion energy can be a story of global multilateral cooperation. A story of planning, collaboration, and commitment from all sides for a common good.
It is a story worth striving for. Because fusion promises to replace the risk of a climate crisis produced by fossil fuels with a zero emission energy system and a better future for the next generations.
Today’s first meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group opens a door towards this future. Let’s continue working together, to keep pushing the limits of what we believe is possible for science and for energy.
Thank you for your attention.
Source – EU Commission