Nuclear fusion is the process of merging light atomic nuclei to release vast amounts of clean, reliable energy, mirroring the reactions that power the sun. Building a sun on earth is a challenging task, that still requires a lot of development & engineering. However, Fusion technology is accelerating worldwide, rapidly transitioning from scientific exploration to engineering‑driven system development.
Demcon supports this acceleration through the development of advanced modules, system engineering, proof-of-concepts and robust, scalable solutions that enable commercially viable fusion power systems.
Magnetic confinement fusion focuses on trapping ultra‑hot plasma using powerful magnetic fields to enable sustained fusion reactions. Within this domain there are various competing approaches such as tokamaks, stellarators and the mirror machine. The main challenges lie in plasma stability, advanced materials and high-precision control systems.
Inertial confinement fusion uses powerful laser or particle‑beam pulses to rapidly compress and heat a tiny fuel pellet, triggering short‑lived fusion conditions. This approach relies on enabling a controlled, repeatable fusion ignition in compact experimental setups. Some of the challenges lie in high‑precision optics, ultrafast pulsed‑energy systems, target fabrication, and advanced diagnostics.
Around the Fusion industry a supply chain of specialized companies is rapidly developing. These companies develop modules such as divertors, diagnostic systems, magnets, lasers, neutral beam injectors, and more. For these highly advanced systems, time-to-market is essential as the modules need to be ready for integration into fusion plants at the right time.
Many technologies in Fusion industry are still low TRL. Simulations are an important part of the early stage design of fusion plants and modules, but results need to be validated in test set-ups before being applied in fusion plants. Meanwhile material research, for example using neutron beams, is essential to develop materials that can withstand the harsh environment in a fusion reactor.
Demcon develops advanced liquid‑metal systems for high‑temperature, high‑flux environments. Our expertise includes the design of liquid‑metal loops, corrosion‑resistant components, and thermal‑hydraulic modelling. These capabilities support applications such as breeder blankets, heat‑extraction systems, target cooling, and liquid‑metal plasma‑facing components. We combine materials knowledge, fluid‑dynamics engineering, and robust system integration to deliver safe, stable, and scalable liquid‑metal systems for fusion applications.
Our simulation team excels at challenging simulations, where multiple physical domains interact. They can simulate and inform design choices across the plant. For example modelling the tritium fuel cycle, radiation processes and radiation damage to materials, and quenching in superconducting magnets.
Laser inertial confinement fusion involves powerful lasers and optics, aligned precisely. Demcon has many years of expertise in opto-mechatronic system engineering, including the design of laser-based systems, beam shaping, thermal management for high-power lasers and both passive and active opto-mechanical alignment. These competences, built up over decades in various high-tech industries, are now being applied to fusion technology.
Remote handling & mechatronics enable safe, precise operation in the extreme environments of fusion facilities, where direct human access is impossible. This discipline includes robotic manipulators, tele‑operated tools, motion platforms, and high‑reliability actuators designed for vacuum, radiation, and strong magnetic fields. Demcon excels in developing custom high-precision motion solutions and advanced mechatronic systems that ensure accurate manipulation, inspection, and maintenance of critical fusion components.
Diagnostics are a vital part of the fusion power plant, providing the precise measurements needed to understand, optimize, and control the plasma. This discipline covers advanced imaging systems, spectroscopy to assess plasma composition and impurities, Thomson scattering for electron temperature and density, and x‑ray and neutron measurement techniques to quantify fusion reactions. Demcon can do design and integration of custom diagnostic systems tailored to demanding fusion environments.
Discover the challenges we work on within the Demcon group.
Demcon and TNO have developed a groundbreaking Laser Projection Subunit (LPS) system for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).
We use our extensive experience in nuclear engineering, radiation and shielding to support customers in the development of nuclear systems.
Radio-isotopes are widely used for medical diagnostics and treatment, predominantly in cancer care.
Demcon joins UKAEA framework to advance fusion energy,
Our colleagues Paul-Christiaan Spruijtenburg, Rien Wesselink, and Marijn Kalter are co-authors in a new publication in Superconductor Science.
With our in‑depth knowledge of system engineering, superconducting magnets, cryogenic systems, vacuum design, extreme thermal control, plasma diagnostics and multiphysics simulation, we have the right skill set to develop solutions that address the challenges of nuclear fusion.
