Marvel Fusion is leading the BMBF-funded, €10 million VANLIFE project in collaboration with German research institutions HZDR, LMU, and the University of Rostock.
Marvel Fusion, a leading company in fusion energy, is spearheading the VANLIFE research project in collaboration with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Ludwig-Maximilians-University München (LMU), and the University of Rostock. Together, they are investigating conceptual aspects of an innovative and proprietary ignition technology for inertial fusion energy (IFE).
High Power Laser DRACO
Source: HZDR/Oliver Killig
Marvel Fusion's technology utilizes short-pulse lasers interacting with nanostructured materials and is designed for the application in commercial fusion power plants. The nanostructures interacting with ultra-short laser pulses serve as a scalable energy converter of the incident laser energy into fast ions at extreme power levels and excellent coupling efficiency. This enables novel fusion target concepts with advanced non-cryogenic fuels for high fusion energy gain and closed fuel cycles while circumventing plasma instabilities during potential fuel compression steps. Building on the recent strong momentum in IFE driven by groundbreaking results from the National Ignition Facility, Marvel Fusion aims to significantly enhance the commercial viability of IFE through this innovative ignition technology.
The VANLIFE project consists of more than 30 world leading scientists from institutions such as the LMU with the Center for Advanced Laser Applications, and HZDR with the HED-HIBEF scientific instrument at the European XFEL and the DRACO/PENELOPE laser facilities, and the University of Rostock. The consortium will specifically aim to increase understanding and optimize the ion generation process resulting from the interaction between short-pulse lasers and nanostructures, through a series of so-called pump-probe experiments supported by large-scale simulations.
The activities undertaken in the VANLIFE project will provide essential data to optimize the design of a fusion target suitable for driving a first-of-its-kind IFE power plant. The consortium is committed to further establish Marvel Fusion’s technology as the leading solution for the development and commercialization of IFE power plant technologies.
About Marvel Fusion
Founded in Munich in 2019, Marvel Fusion is pursuing an innovative path toward commercializing fusion energy. The unique technology is based on high-intensity, short-pulsed lasers and nanostructured fuels. Marvel Fusion is currently one of the most advanced fusion energy companies globally and aims to build a fusion power plant in the 2030s. To accelerate development, Marvel Fusion partnered with Colorado State University and started the construction of their $150 million fusion technology demonstration facility in Colorado. The company raised €120 million in equity and €150 million in public cooperation projects and employs around 70 people.
