US and Germany launch $13.3M center merging tokamak and stellarator research

Columbia University and Germany's Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics are creating a virtual center to combine the strengths of tokamaks and stellarators. The $13.3 million project starts in 2027 and runs five years, giving researchers access to Wendelstein 7-X and ASDEX Upgrade.

• Budget of $13.3M: $7.5M from US sources and €5M from IPP
• Center begins work in 2027 and will operate for five years
• Access to Wendelstein 7-X stellarator and ASDEX Upgrade tokamak
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Proxima Fusion, Thea Energy and Type One Energy join working groups