| Name | Organisation,
Location | Built | Aims | Status |
|
| CCFE,
Culham, UK | 1983 | Tokamak. Optimise plasma physics. Investigate breakeven conditions with reactor fuel (current records 16 MW peak fusion power in 1997, 69 MJ fusion energy produced during 5 seconds - average 14 MW - at end of 2023). Develop remote handling techniques. | Now meticulously documenting the first experience of fusion plant decommissioning. |
|
| Escúzar, Spain | Construction began 2022 | Accelerator and test cell. Develop necessary database on materials for use in DEMO. | Expected operation in 2030, with first results in 2035. |
|
| ITER Organisation,
Cadarache, France | Construction began 2006 | Tokamak. Investigate/demonstrate burning plasmas, minimising the need for external heating. Test the reliability and integration of technologies essential for a fusion reactor (such as superconducting magnets, remote maintenance, and systems to exhaust power from the plasma) and the validity of blanket concepts that would lead in a future reactor to tritium self-sufficiency and electricity generation. | New (mid-2024) schedule condenses previous staged startup, envisaging fully-equipped operation beginning in 2034 in hydrogen, leading to full magnetic energy operation in DD by 2036, with full DT operation beginning in 2039. |
|
| QST,
Naka, Japan | Construction began 2013 | Tokamak. Satellite (i.e. supporting) superconducting tokamak providing a low-radiation-level test bed to support ITER physics operational choices. When fully operational, able to sustain break-even-equivalent high temperature plasmas for 100 s, and will also investigate steady state operational requirements. Holds record for worlds largest plasma (160 m3). | Initial Operation. First plasma October 23, 2023 |
|
| ENEA
Frascati, Italy | Construction began 2023 | Tokamak with maximum toroidal field on-axis of 6T, plasma current up to 5.5MA in pulses with total duration up to 100s. Plasma with major radius R=2.19m, minor radius a=0.70m. DTT is a divertor facility designed to accommodate a variety of divertor configurations, both in single and double null scenarios. | Operation planned in 2026 |
|
| Czech Academy
of Sciences
IPP
Prague,
Czech Republic | Construction began 2023 | Tokamak with maximum toroidal field on-axis of 5T, plasma current up to 2MA in pulses with total current duration up to 5s. Able to generate advanced plasma configurations (double null, snowflake, negative triangularity) and heat first wall components up to 500°C. Goal is to support ITER operation and to address key challenges for the design and construction of DEMO (e.g. power exhaust, no-ELM regimes etc.) | Tokamak assembly to begin in 2024. Operation planned in 2026 |
|
| Max Planck IPP,
Greifswald, Germany | 2014 | World's largest (5 period modular coil) superconducting stellarator, to investigate how suitable this configuration, which allows the plasma to operate in steady state, can be for a power reactor. In 2025 demonstrated 8 minute plasma pulse operation. | Recently upgraded and aiming for half-hour operation. |
|
| Max Planck IPP,
Garching, Germany | 1991 | Tokamak. Discovered H-mode confinement. Particle and energy transport particularly at the plasma edge and divertor region. Optimisation of plasma wall materials and interactions. Extensively and continuously upgraded over the years. | Further investigation of operating regimes relevant to ITER. |
|
| Kurchatov Institute,
Moscow, Russian Federation | 1988 | Tokamak. First with superconducting coils. Upgraded to a D-shaped plasma cross section in 1998. Upgraded further from 2010 onwards to evaluate effectiveness of fusion-fission hybrid. Began operation again in 2021 | Further upgrades planned to 2024 |
|
| General Atomics,
San Diego,
CA, USA | 1986 | Tokamak. Extensively and continuously upgraded over the years particularly to optimise plasma cross-section shape. Divertor and edge plasma physics. Proved the benefits of negative triangularity plasmas in 2023. In 2025 investigating boronisation to reduce tungsten impurity influx. | Upgraded in 2019 to investigate how to achieve self-sustaining plasma configurations. |
|
| CCFE,
Culham, UK | 2019 | Spherical Tokamak. Latest upgrade to investigate super-x divertor configuration for spreading plasma loads. Development of spherical tokamak physics also as component test facility for fusion technology development. In 2025, first to use resonant magnetic perturbation coils to completely suppress edge localised modes in a spherical tokamak. | Fourth physics campaign with beam heating, then fifth with radiofrequency heating added. |
|
| PPPL,
Princeton,
NJ, USA | 2016 | Spherical Tokamak. Investigate and optimise plasma stability at reduced fields. Investigation of steady state operation. Exhaust heat removal. | Undergoing refit with new coils. |
|
| PSFT, Universidad
de Sevilla
Seville,
Spain | 2021 | Spherical Tokamak with negative triangularity to enhance confinement and spread divertor loads. In collaboration with PPPL. First plasma produced in January 2025. | First experimental programme |
|
| Startorus Fusion
Xi'an, China | 2021 | Spherical Tokamak. Jointly built and operated with Tsinghua University. First plasma 2023. 0.5MA 1T plasma achieved 17M°C ion temperature in 2024. | Continued experimentation, and design of validation device CTRFR-1. |
|
| EPFL,
Lausanne, Switzerland | 1992 | Tokamak. Originally designed and operated to compare and investigate various plasma cross section shapes and divertor configurations for optimisation. Now developing deep data analysis to predict and control/avoid plasma disruptions, in collaboration with Google's Deep Mind. | Operating |
|
| CEA,
Cadarache, France | (1988)
2018 | Tokamak. Refurbished Tore Supra (first operated in 1988) superconducting device with unique long pulse capabilities, divertor and tungsten wall to study ITER divertor physics. In 2024 achieved a 6 minute pulse at 50M°C with a full tungsten wall, stretched in 2025 to nearly 14 minutes with injection of 1.9 GJ. Also tested high negative triangularity plasma for potential ITER use. | Operating and adding electron cyclotron heating. |
|
| Consorzio RFX,
Padua, Italy | (1992)
2023 | Reversed field pinch. A new machine (load assembly) with copper shell closer to the plasma to produce much improved parameters compared to RFX (1992) and RFX-Mod (2004). | Commissioning |
|
| LLNL,
Livermore,
CA, USA | 2009 | Study conditions needed for ignition using laser-driven inertial confinement. Upgraded several times over the years. "Ignition" achieved December 2022. In April 2025 achieved a record fusion field of 8.6 MJ, with a target gain (Q) greater than 4. | Further experimentation and optimisation. |
|
| CEA DAM,
Bordeax, France | 2014 | Designed to deliver over 1 MJ of laser energy to the target through eventually 20 beamlines each of 8 lasers. About half as powerful as NIF, but uses the same "hohlraum" technique to focus energy onto the fuel pellet. Primary task is to support fusion calculations for France's nuclear weapons. First fusion neutrons with deuterium pellets in 2019 using 48 lasers. [38] | Further commissioning, experimentation and optimisation. |
|
| ILE, University
of Osaka,
Osaka, Japan | 1983 | 12 beam nano-second pulse laser irradiation facility with two possible chambers, either ensuring all-round or one-sided in combination, demonstrating target implosion and rapid heating. | Under upgrade to deliver 6 kJ controlled shape pulses for optimal implosion. |
|
| KIFE,
Daejeon, South Korea | 2008 | Tokamak with superconducting magnets. Studies to support ITER, and Korea's contribution to it. Sustained a plasma of 60M°C for 70s in 2016. Current record for sustained ion temperature is 100M°C for 48s in February 2024, and over 100s H-mode pulses. Now using tungsten divertors. Ultimate goal of sustained 100M°C ion temperatures for 300s. | Further raising of temperature and pulse length. |
|
| CAS,
Hefei, China | 2006 | Tokamak with superconducting magnets. Studies to guide China's input to ITER design and operation. Sustained a plasma of 50M°C for 403s in 2023, and 120M°C for 101s in 2021. High performance plasma pulse of 1056s in 2021. Exceeded these records with high performance plasma pulse of 70M°C for 1066s in early 2025 following upgrade. | Further experimentation and optimisation of high confinement regime. |
|
| Institute of
Energy,
Hefei, China | 2023 | Compact high field tokamak. Construction began in 2023 with a view to operation in 2028. R=3.6m, a=1.1m, 6.15T axis toroidal field, 4-7MA plasma current and expected Q of 1-5, with fusion power of 20-200MW. Aimed to demonstrate electricity generation by fusion. | Continued construction. |
|
| SWIP,
Chengdu, China | 2020 | Non-superconducting magnet tokamak with R=1.78m and a=0.65m with plasma current up to 3MA, operated with China National Nuclear Corporation. In early 2025 achieved ion and electron temperatures of 120 and 160M°C respectively with a current of 1.5MA, and a power reactor-relevant fusion triple product.
| Being upgraded for tritium use and to test high performance plasma regimes. |
|
| ENN,
Langfang, China | 2018 | Spherical tokamak, started operation in 2018. Emphasis on exploiting p+11B reactions. In 2025 demonstrated 1MA plasma current with 1.2T toroidal field on axis, validating performance.
| Developing successor device EHL-2 to provide physics and engineering basis for burning plasma experiments. |
|
| Energy
Singularity,
Pudong, China | 2021 | Compact tokamak with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. Achieved first plasma in 2024, the world's first HTS fusion device/tokamak, and the world's first superconducting tokamak built by a commercial company. In February 2026 achieved record 1337s steady-state long pulse operation at low current using an AI-based plasma control system. | Continued experimentation, with a view to constructing a Q>1 device by ~2030, and a demonstration plant by ~2040. |
|
| Tokamak
Energy,
Milton Park, UK | 2017 | Spherical Tokamak with copper magnets. Achieved 100M°C plasma in 2022, a world first for a spherical Tokamak, and record triple product in 2023. Diverted plasma demonstrated in 2024. Collaborative upgrade underway in 2025 with additional funding from US DOE and UK DESNZ. | Continued development and experimentation. |
|
| Tokamak Energy,
Culham, UK | Under Construction | Spherical Tokamak with high temperature superconducting (HTS) coils. Aimed to demonstrate the potential of HTS and other technologies needed to design a prototype plant to operate in the early 2030s. Demo4 HTS magnet configuration under final construction and testing. Magnet irradiation performance testing at US DOE Sandia Laboratory in preparation. | Under construction (planned to operate in 2030). |
|
| Princeton
Fusion Systems,
Princeton,
NJ, USA | 2020 | Field Reversed Configuration investigating potential for small scale plant using D+3He with rapid tritium exhaust. 0.3s operation duration. Ion heating improved in 2023. | Next step (PFRC-3) under design. |
|
| Commonwealth
Fusion
Systems,
Devens,
MA, USA | Construction began 2021 | Tokamak with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets. Collaboration between Commonwealth Fusion Systems and MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Aims to demonstrate Q>1. In 2025 cryostat base installed and central solenoid model coil tested. | Operational in 2026. |
|
| TAE
Technologies,
Foothill Ranch,
CA, USA | 2017 | Field-reversed configuration aiming ultimately to use p+11B fuel. Next step "Copernicus" constructed in 2024. | "Copernicus" commissioning and operation in 2025. |
|
| LPPFusion
Middlesex,
NJ, USA | 2017 | Dense plasma focus aiming ultimately to use p+11B fuel. Already reached 2500 M°C. Began experimenting with p-11B fuel in 2023. | Upgraded experiment underway. |
|
| Helion
Energy,
Everett,
WA, USA | 2020 | Colliding and compressed field-reversed plasmas aiming to directly convert energy to electricity using D+3He fuel made from deuterium in a particle accelerator. Reached 150M°C operating in DT in February 2026. | Further experimentation aiming at 200M°C, and direct electricity production with D+3He. |
|
| NIFS,
Oroshi, Japan | 1998 | Heliotron (Stellarator). Maintained a plasma for over an hour in 2005. In 2020 reached 100M°C in both electrons and ions in deuterium. Currently investigating plasma turbulence and stability | Investigations to continue. |
|
| NFLS,
Madrid, Spain | 1997 | Flexible Heliac (Stellarator). Investigates plasma physics in a device with helical axis and a great range of possible magnetic configuration. Pulse length is 0.25s. | Investigations to continue. |
|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison,
WI, USA | 1999 | 4 period modular coil stellarator or quasi-helically symmetric type. 30M°C temperatures reached. Emphasis on optimsation of magnetic field geometry. | Investigations to continue. |
|
| Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory,
NJ, USA | 2024 | Using commercially available parts, 3D printing and permanent magnets, generates precise magnetic field configurations at reduced cost. Designed specifically to have quasi-axisymmetry, giving uniform magnetic field strength toroidally, leading to better confinement. | Magnetic field mapping and hot particle tracking. |
|
| OpenStar Technologies,
Wellington, New Zealand | 2021 | Achieved first plasma in November 2024, reaching 0.3M° for 20s. Next-step design under development. | Continued experimentation towards better performance. |
|
| Novatron Fusion Group AB,
Stockholm, Sweden | 2019 | Stable magnetic mirror with easy fuelling and continuous operation at high "beta". Test rig for Novatron 1 completed and commissioned, and first plasma achieved in 2024. Novatron 2 using DD planned for 2027. | Completion and full operation of Novatron 1 expected in 2025. |
|
| Realta Fusion,
Madison, WI, USA | 2024 | Magnetic mirror created between two high temperature superconducting magnets provided by Commonwealth Fusion Systems. WHAM experiment achieved peak field of 17T and first plasma in July 2024. Joint venture with University of Madison-Wisconsin. | Forerunner of demonstration reactor (ANVIL) projected to operate before 2030. |
|
| Terra Fusion,
College park, MD, USA | 2024 | Magnetic mirror spinning at supersonic speed providing enhanced stability and confinement. Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CFMX) at University of Maryland, in operation since 2022, in 2024 achieved stable discharges for 10s, limited only by uncooled components. | Terra Fusion has been set up to build the next generation machine commercially. |
|
| Sandia National Laboratory,
Albuquerque,
NM, USA | 2011 | Z-pinch magneto-inertial combination using Z-machine. In 2020 produced a deuterium ion temperature of 30M°C at a density of 1019m-3 | Needs a more powerful Z-machine to progress. |
|
| MIFTI,
Tustin, CA, USA | 2008 | Staged multi-layer Z-pinch magneto-inertial combination tested using ZEBRA device at University of Nevada Reno. Aimed at development for DT fusion power generation. Achieved neutron yield of 2 x 1011 on 3 MA "Double Eagle" machine in 2024. | Experimentation continues. |
|
| ZAP Energy,
Everett, WA, USA | 2017 | Z-Pinch with sheared-flow stabilisation. Latest device (Century) integrates three major technologies required for a reactor: repetitive pulsed power, liquid metal walls, and electrode damage mitigation. In 2024 more than 1000 100kA plasma pulses were carried out in under 3 hours under vacuum in a chamber protected by flowing liquid bismuth. | Experimentation continues. |
|
| fuse,
Palo Alto, CA., USA
Napierville, Canada | 2019 | Building on and extending Sandia's MAGLIF experimental approach, using impedance-matched Marx generators for pulsed power. Testing and constructing 1 TW TITAN generator in 2023, with a view to constructing 15 TW Z-Star prototype in 2025. Licensed by Canadian Nuclear safety Commission for production of up to 1013 neutrons per annum. | Construction and Testing. |
|
| First Light Fusion,
Kidlington, UK | 2011 | Projectile-based inertial fusion, with gun firing projectile into target containing fusion fuel pellet. Largest pulsed power facility in Europe, producing projectile accelerations of 109g and impact speeds of 20 km/s. | Operating |
|
| General Fusion,
Richmond, Canada | Under construction | Magnetised target fusion using mechanically driven liquid metal liner. A spherical tokamak plasma is fired into a liquid lithium vortex which is then mechanically compressed tenfold heating plasma to fusion conditions. The vortex then rebounds and the cavity is reset. LM26, under construction, designed to achieve 100M°C in 2025 and scientific breakeven in 2026. Near-commercial demonstration plant planned to be built in Culham, UK from 2026. | Under construction (operation due in 2025) |
|
| Lockheed Martin,
Bethesda,
MD, USA | 2016 | Biconic cusp [31] with double superconducting magnetic mirrors at each end forming diamagnetic cusps to restrict losses. Only cold plasma produced so far (2015). No recent details available. | T5 machine announced in 2019 |
|
| Horne Technologies,
Longmont,
CO, USA | 2019 | Biconic cusp [24] using high temperature superconductor, with inertial electrostatic heating and ion-ion and ion-neutral thermalisation mitigation optimisation. A second generation device is now operating. | Commissioning |
|
| Avalanche Energy,
Seattle,
WA., USA | 2018 | "Orbitron". High energy ions orbit around a negatively charged cathode, with high energy electrons confined by a weak magnetic field providing a "crossed field" electrostatic confinement. Modular design (5-15 kWe). Likely most suited to p-11B fuel. Reached an operating voltage of 200 kV with "Marty" device in 2023. Aiming for delivery of first reactor-relevant prototype by end of 2025 with a view to demonstration plant by 2028. | Continued development |