Bavaria's Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and Science Minister Markus Blume visited the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching on 28 September 2023. At a press conference, they presented the Bavarian Master Plan for Nuclear Fusion.
September 28, 2023
Photo shot in the ASDEX Upgrade experiment hall at IPP: State Secretary for Economics Roland Weigert, Prof. Dr. Sibylle Günter (MPI for Plasma Physics), Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and Science Minister Markus Blume (from left).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
Photo shot in the ASDEX Upgrade experiment hall at IPP: State Secretary for Economics Roland Weigert, Prof. Dr. Sibylle Günter (MPI for Plasma Physics), Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and Science Minister Markus Blume (from left).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
The Minister-President and the Minister of Science made their comments after a non-public round of experts in which IPP scientists, external experts and representatives of fusion start-ups had participated. Among other things, the master plan announces a funding programme for fusion. In addition, six new chairs and up to 20 junior research groups are to be established at Bavarian universities.
Regarding the IPP, the paper states:
The expert panel (from left): Prof. Dr. Arne Kallenbach (IPP), Dr. Rachael M. McDermott (IPP), Prof. Dr. Tony Donné (EUROfusion), Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kienberger (TUM), Minister of Science Markus Blume, Maximilian Böltl (Mayor of Kirchheim near Munich), Prof. Dr. Sibylle Günter (IPP), Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, Heike Freund (Marvel Fusion), Francesco Sciortino (Proxima Fusion), Prof. Dr. Winfried Petry (TUM) and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Stroth (IPP).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
The expert panel (from left): Prof. Dr. Arne Kallenbach (IPP), Dr. Rachael M. McDermott (IPP), Prof. Dr. Tony Donné (EUROfusion), Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kienberger (TUM), Minister of Science Markus Blume, Maximilian Böltl (Mayor of Kirchheim near Munich), Prof. Dr. Sibylle Günter (IPP), Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, Heike Freund (Marvel Fusion), Francesco Sciortino (Proxima Fusion), Prof. Dr. Winfried Petry (TUM) and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Stroth (IPP).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
- "The internationally recognised excellent competences available here in Bavaria with the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) are to be further expanded within the framework of a practice-oriented approach - in addition to institutional funding."
- "A decision by the federal government on a plasma fusion facility in Garching to succeed the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak must be forced. Depending on the technology chosen, this will require additional investment of up to one billion euros spread over eight to ten years."
Press conference: Science Minister Markus Blume, Minister President Dr Markus Söder and Prof. Dr Sibylle Günter, Scientific Director of the IPP (from left).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
Press conference: Science Minister Markus Blume, Minister President Dr Markus Söder and Prof. Dr Sibylle Günter, Scientific Director of the IPP (from left).
Photo: MPI for Plasma Physics, Axel Griesch
IPP Scientific Director Prof. Sibylle Günter commented, "Fusion research has reached the point where it is worth taking the step into application. We must now create the framework conditions so that research and industry can jointly develop a fusion power plant."
