Fusion Powerplay: China and U.S. Accelerate While Europe Stalls
Experts warn Europe is falling behind as China accelerates fusion energy development with focused strategy and industrial coordination
At the heart of today’s most high-stakes scientific pursuit lies a geopolitical contest over fusion energy.
With its promise of clean, limitless power, fusion is drawing attention not only from physicists and engineers but also from policy advisors and strategists concerned with global influence and energy sovereignty.
“China has one thing, and they are going for it, and they are going with everything they can,” said Milena Roveda, Chair of the European Fusion Association.
“We are paying the price of democracy,” she added, noting that in Europe, “everyone has a voice,” but the process to act decisively is slow.
Tone Langengen, senior advisor on energy and climate at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, described fusion as “an important game changer for development, for powering progress.”
She said the concern is not just technical but geopolitical: “It is really important now for other countries to wake up to the fact that there is a real geopolitical raison… that’s not just about the technology itself.”
Langengen pointed to China’s momentum.
“From what we can tell, they are doubling down on expanding their efforts,” she added, “The United States isn't putting that much money into it, which I think is quite interesting.”
Europe's Missed Opportunity
Roveda was blunt about Europe’s standing in the global fusion race.
“Unfortunately, nowhere in this moment. So Europe doesn't have a place at the table,” she said. Quoting a recent Italian political program, she warned: “If you don't sit at the table, you are on the menu. And I fear that Europe is on the menu at this moment.”
This is despite Europe’s vast resources and expertise. “We have the supply chain in Europe. We have scientists in Europe. We have everything that we need in Europe… But if you hear about what is happening in the world about fusion, it's only the US and China.”
What’s needed, she said, is decisive action. “We need to stop talking and doing papers and creating work groups,” she said. “We need to have a plan for how to start building this fusion power plant in Europe.”
Roveda advocated for a smaller, more nimble coalition—“four or five countries coming together… sort of the Eurofighter model for fusion.”
She explained that this doesn’t mean abandoning Europe-wide collaboration, but working around the “monster too heavy to move” that is the European Commission. Regulatory readiness is another issue.
“The regulator needs to focus now and say we are committed to building this fusion power plant,” she said. “You cannot overregulate, because otherwise the cost of energy is going to shoot to the roof.”
Fusion Fest and Global Lessons
These comments were made during Fusion Fest, an April 8 conference hosted by The Economist in London, where Roveda, Langengen, and Laban Coblentz of ITER discussed fusion’s global dynamics and challenges.
Langengen said fusion’s potential isn’t limited to clean power: “It's all the kind of innovation that happens as we aim for it… like the moon landing.”
She emphasized that fusion development will significantly impact European competitiveness and could enhance industrial, defense, and grid capabilities.
She cited the UK’s STEP program—Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production—as an example of a proactive national effort. Led by the UK government in partnership with industry, STEP aims to build a prototype spherical tokamak fusion power plant that can generate net energy and deliver it to the grid, proving the commercial viability of fusion.
Langengen noted that when the UK was selecting a site for the project, multiple communities actively competed to host it, reflecting strong local enthusiasm and public support.
Langengen noted that fusion’s increasing affordability was reshaping how and where it is pursued.
“It is cheaper to do fusion research now, which is changing the game,” she said.
But this comes with risks: “We're going backwards to regional and national champions,” she observed, echoing concerns that countries are building isolated ecosystems rather than global cooperation.
She also emphasized the importance of including the Global South. “Every single country around the world wants energy,” she said. “I think there will be emerging countries like India that will play a role.”
AI, Public Perception, and the Path Ahead
Langengen described AI as one of the key enablers accelerating fusion progress.
“It is superconducting magnets… and then AI, which is speeding up the development process massively,” she said. “That includes being able to develop new materials and other things.”
Laban Coblentz of ITER echoed that with a concrete example: “We built an in-house version of ChatGPT, Microsoft built an in-house version. We call her Lucy… Lucy is much faster than even our oldest or youngest engineers at retrieving information we already have.”
He said ITER partnered with Microsoft on virtual studio tools and digital twins.
“We're using AI to make a digital twin, but we will optimize that for planning,” he said. “I'll tell you one that sounds very silly… it will also help us to be nimble for the private sector.”
Coblentz also noted a speculative but serious proposal: “We all know that structural and functional materials for fusion remain a big challenge. And the question that we put in there is: Could AI help us accelerate the way that it's done, like in the medical industry, pharmaceuticals, etc.? Possibly. Time will tell.”
On public perception, Roveda said the energy crisis following the war in Ukraine had changed minds. “Then people started saying, ‘Okay, if nuclear is going to help me pay the bill, then I am open to nuclear.’”
She described a growing openness in places once hostile to nuclear power.
“Even the most conservative countries like Germany, even the Greens… there was a pro-nuclear fraction.” She also shared that a German company had said, “We want you to build your power plant here in our backyard.”
“There were a number of communities that wanted to host it,” she said of STEP. “I don't see public perception as a huge barrier. For a country like the UK… it should be a potential source of national pride.”
Looking ahead, both speakers urged urgency and collaboration.
“Germany is not going to do this alone,” said Roveda. “We need Italy, we need France, we need the Netherlands. We need a lot of other countries in Europe to do this.”
Langengen concluded that what matters now is speed and alignment.
“This is the moment for a kick in the ass for the rest of us and for increased collaboration,” she said.