Bruker, Luvata to scale superconductors for fusion projects
The collaboration targets RRP superconductors for magnetic-confinement fusion, but commercial terms and timing remain undisclosed.
Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies and Luvata Materials & Solutions have agreed to collaborate on scaling production of RRP superconductors for magnetic-confinement fusion, according to Yahoo Finance.
The companies have previously supplied materials and expertise to ITER and the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. Their RRP superconductors are designed for magnetic fields of approximately 12–20 Tesla and are also used in CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and high-field nuclear magnetic resonance magnets.
Gauss Fusion is evaluating the superconductors for its planned industrial demonstrator and GIGA power-plant platform. The announcement did not disclose a contract value, order volume or delivery timeline, leaving the potential commercial scale of the arrangement unclear.
Bruker’s energy and supercon technologies unit, known as BEST, reported second-quarter revenue of US$74.2 million, up 11.9 per cent from a year earlier. First-half revenue rose 12.3 per cent, although BEST accounted for less than 9 per cent of Bruker’s total quarterly revenue.
The collaboration adds to Bruker’s exposure to fusion-related infrastructure, but the available information does not establish whether it will lead to binding orders or material revenue. Bruker’s broader second-quarter GAAP operating results included a US$134.9 million non-cash goodwill impairment.
