Sweden’s Novatron Fusion Group secures €3 million to advance groundbreaking fusion energy technology

Novatron Fusion Group has secured €3 million in funding from the EIC Pathfinder Program for its TauEB project, which focuses on improving plasma confinement in fusion reactors. The project, developed in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, KIPT, UKAEA, and EIT InnoEnergy, seeks to enhance the stability and efficiency of energy containment in fusion power plants. By integrating three unique confinement techniques—magnetic, ambipolar, and ponderomotive—TauEB aims to significantly improve fusion energy’s commercial viability. The funding will support ongoing research and development to address technical challenges and move the technology closer to practical, large-scale use.

Novatron Fusion Group, established in 2019 and based in Stockholm, Sweden, is a company focused on the development of fusion energy technology. The company is working on a unique fusion reactor concept known as NOVATRON, which aims to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of fusion power generation. Through collaborations with academic and research institutions such as KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Novatron is exploring new approaches to plasma confinement in fusion reactors. The company is supported by a range of investors and is dedicated to advancing fusion energy as a potential solution for sustainable power.

Novatron Fusion Group, in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, KIPT (Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology), UKAEA, and EIT InnoEnergy, has launched the TauEB project, focused on improving plasma confinement and energy containment in fusion reactors. Fusion power plants depend on stable energy confinement and the ability to sustain plasma with minimal leakage. The TauEB project, funded by the EIC Pathfinder Program, aims to address these challenges by increasing plasma confinement time (τE) by more than a hundred times, a crucial step toward making fusion energy commercially viable.

The project introduces an innovative combination of three physical confinement techniques: magnetic confinement, achieved through Novatron’s unique magnetic mirror design; ambipolar plugging, which creates an electrostatic barrier at the magnetic mirrors; and ponderomotive confinement, using an external electric RF-field to confine the plasma. This integration of techniques is expected to significantly improve confinement and potentially reduce the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), making fusion energy more economically viable in the long term.

CTO Jan Jäderberg of Novatron Fusion Group comments: “Our collaboration with global leaders strengthens the credibility and potential impact of the TauEB project. We are now poised to demonstrate a truly scalable and cost-effective fusion reactor technology.”

The project also includes comprehensive risk management strategies to address technical challenges and the complexity of current regulatory hurdles. With partners such as KTH, KIPT and UKAEA, the project brings together leading experts in magnetic confinement, plasma stability, radio-frequency plasma heating, and advanced diagnostics. In addition, EIT InnoEnergy brings expertise in innovation and commercialization, ensuring a strong pathway to market.

“The Pathfinder Program is aimed at fostering radical innovations with high potential for real-world impact. With Novatron Fusion Group’s groundbreaking approach to fusion, we’re bringing together an interdisciplinary team of world-class experts in fusion research and development. This unique collaboration will help drive the ongoing development of the novel fusion technology, positioning us to achieve major milestones in the quest for commercially viable fusion energy,” says Per Brunsell, professor in Fusion Plasma Physics at KTH.

In times when the energy demand keeps rising and the global energy sector rapidly pivots toward sustainable solutions, fusion energy is positioned to be a cornerstone of the future energy mix. This was also emphasized by the evaluators, who praised the project by giving it a 4.9/5 rating for being a “radically new technology” that significantly advances fusion energy’s commercial viability.

“There is a growing momentum in the field of fusion energy. As we continue to advance our technological roadmap, the TauEB project is a major step toward achieving a commercially scalable fusion reactor, paving the way for a cleaner, sustainable future,” concludes Jan Jäderberg.

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