Analysts Arthur D. Little together with Focused Energy have produced a comprehensive feasibility study for the Biblis site in southern Hesse, Germay. The aim was to assess whether the conversion of the former nuclear power plant site could succeed as the first fusion power plant – a ‘lighthouse project’ for future energy projects and Europe’s industrial transformation.
The project aligns with the German federal government’s high-tech agenda and national fusion strategy, as well as Hesse’s extensive activities to promote laser fusion. The study comes at a time when fusion energy is entering the commercialisation phase – and Germany believes it has a major opportunity to assume a leading role in competition with the USA and China.
In co-operation with RWE and other partners, Biblis is to be developed into a central hub for laser fusion research, innovation, and the industrial ecosystem as part of its high-tech agenda. In the long term, the first laser fusion power plant is to be built there. The feasibility study clearly shows that the Biblis site is ideally suited for this purpose.
“This is a great opportunity for Germany, as fusion energy is rapidly gaining strategic importance,” commented Thomas Forner, CEO and co-founder of Focused Energy. The European Union, the German federal government, and the state of Hesse have explicitly highlighted this potential in their strategic guidelines, funding programmes, and coalition agreements.”
The study’s findings
The study demonstrates that key facilities such as laser laboratories, target manufacturing, test facilities, and a complete demonstration power plant can be realised at the site and integrated into the existing building structures. By adaptively using existing infrastructure – such as turbine halls, storage buildings, and reactor domes – significant investment costs can be saved, and implementation timelines considerably shortened.
The required infrastructure expansion is also clearly definable and technically manageable. According to the federal government’s “Fusion Action Plan,” published in October 2025, fusion research will no longer fall under nuclear law but under radiation protection law – a crucial step for legal and industrial implementation.
The study proposes a co-ordinated industrial implementation model for the project. Together with the BMFTR (Germany’s Federal ministry of Research, Technology and Space) ways are to be sought to establish the hub with additional technology partners. These include suppliers, financial institutions, system integrators, energy suppliers, technical service providers, and public actors. A clearly defined structure is to govern development, operation, and ownership on the campus. “For Germany, this could result in accelerated technology transfer – provided that investment, regulatory, and supply chain challenges can be overcome,” says Stephan Rühl, a partner at Arthur D Little.
