Pilot project on the regulation of fusion facilities (ReFus) - Sub-project: Regulatory aspects of fusion facilities - safety, non-proliferation and waste management aspects

Since the first experiments on fusion in the 1950s, the technology has developed steadily. In Europe, the focus has long been on magnetic confinement. For some years now, however, laser fusion has also been gaining in importance. Current developments show the potential to meet the rapidly growing global energy demand in the coming decades with fusion energy, among other things. However, research and development are still required in order to bring viable concepts for fusion power plants to the market. These must also be measured against a technical and legal regulatory framework that has yet to be created.

This project first analyzes the status quo and existing gaps with regard to the technical and legal regulatory situation for fusion power plants. Based on a needs analysis of the industry and the current nuclear and radiation protection legislation, the possibilities for integrating fusion power plants into the existing legal system and for developing a separate regulatory regime will be determined. In addition to the various technical issues, special features relating to waste disposal and non-proliferation will also be analyzed. Based on this, a concept for the development of a set of technical regulations is to be developed. In addition to basic technical characteristics of fusion plant concepts and methods from radiation protection and nuclear fission technology, national and international experience will be incorporated into the concept development, the applicability of which will be examined on the basis of various factors such as the expected hazard potential and its practical feasibility. In addition, the requirements for simulation codes resulting from the control plant concepts, their current availability and the existing need for research and development will be determined.