Building a fusion power plant takes more than getting the physics right. It also means securing thousands of kilometres of specialised materials and the equipment needed to heat and fuel the plasma, years before the machine is ready to run.

Munich-based Proxima Fusion is working on that supply chain through two new agreements with Japanese companies.

The memorandums of understanding were signed in Tokyo on Wednesday, during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Japan.

One agreement, with cable and optical fibre manufacturer Fujikura, covers high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tape. The companies will study the feasibility of building a factory in Lower Saxony, Germany, to produce it.

The second, with Kyoto Fusioneering, covers equipment for heating and fuelling the plasma inside a fusion machine.

Neither agreement is a firm order or a commitment to build.…