next
Filling the gap to Fusion Power
The Volumetric Neutron Source next will be the first reactor to produce significant amounts of energy from fusion while demonstrating the technologies and operation processes of future power plants
From Promise to Implementation
Advancing fusion technologies from vision to execution
next closes the remaining gap between research and implementation by providing a Neutron Environment for eXtended Technology validation.
It enables:
Validation of key fusion technologies under real operational and nuclear conditions, advancing them from TRL 3–4 to TRL 7–8.
Proof of nuclear operation processes required in future power plants, including remote maintenance and fuel cycle management.
Demonstration of electricity generation from nuclear fusion energy.
In short: next is the first fusion pilot facility: operating the same systems, maintenance routines, and nuclear operation processes that will be essential in tomorrow’s fusion power plants.
Real Neutrons. Real Conditions. Real Validation.
A continuous DT plasma source replicating the neutron environment of future reactors
next is designed as a steady-state deuterium-tritium plasma neutron source, delivering the same 14 MeV neutron spectrum expected in commercial fusion power plants.
To learn more about the Volumetric Neutron Source: C. Bachmann et al., EUROfusion Consortium, CC BY 4.0
Source: Engineering concept of the VNS – a beam-driven tokamak for component testing (ScienceDirect)
Fusion is sustained by neutral beam injection, enabling controlled, continuous operation.
While the facility adopts the tokamak design, the validated technologies are relevant for all fusion reactor concepts — including tokamaks, stellarators, and inertial confinement.
The design has been confirmed by independent European experts.
The first-of-its-kind facility to demonstrate and establish the basis for Fusion Plant Licensing
To learn more about the Volumetric Neutron Source: C. Bachmann et al., EUROfusion Consortium, CC BY 4.0
Source: Engineering concept of the VNS – a beam-driven tokamak for component testing (ScienceDirect)
By doing so, next complements and strengthens the global fusion development efforts: technologically, operationally and financially.
A Profitable Fusion Business Case. Mid-term.
next's neutron source opens new opportunities in cancer treatment, transmutation and nuclear research
Medical Isotopes
The powerful neutron source of next enables the production of significant amounts of Medical Isotopes – creating the first viable mid-term business case in fusion.
Transmutation of High-Level Nuclear Waste
The immense neutron flux and the intrinsic safety features of next offer unparalleled potential for the Transmutation of High-Level Nuclear Waste.
Advanced Nuclear Technologies
Good accessibility of the reactor core and the large available volume make it an ideal platform for the qualification of Advanced Nuclear Technologies.
Where Critical Systems are Proven
Validating remote maintenance, fuel cycle, and divertor under continuous nuclear operation
next will host the full range of systems needed to operate a fusion power plant — and provide a unique platform to test and validate them under real-world nuclear conditions. As the first-of-its-kind facility, next will generate an unprecedented set of operational data – invaluable for the design, optimization, customization, and operation of future devices.
Image credit: C. Bachmann et al., EUROfusion Consortium, CC BY 4.0
Source: Engineering concept of the VNS – a beam-driven tokamak for component testing (ScienceDirect)
Fuel Cycle & Tritium Breeding
The Promise of a Closed Fuel Cycle
next is the first and only facility capable of validating tritium breeding concepts in continuous operation. It enables:
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Extensive testing opportunities for all critical technologies of the fuel cycle.
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Validation of tritium breeding in blanket modules over the full machine lifetime.
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Optimization of the complete fuel cycle for power plant operation: injection into plasma, extraction, reprocessing, reinjection.
This makes next the pilot plant to demonstrate fusion’s most critical and unresolved challenge.
Divertor
Tested for Endurance
The divertor is the fusion component exposed to the most extreme heat loads. next enables long-term testing under steady-state plasma conditions. It validates its performance and structural endurance — and allows replacement and optimization to reach reactor-ready maturity.
Remote Maintenance
Built for Reality
next demonstrates tritium control and the full range of robot-based reactor maintenance in the nuclear environment of a fusion power plant.
Reactor core components are removed and analyzed at the end of their operational lifecycle – creating the comprehensive engineering data needed to confirm and optimize the operation processes of future fusion power plants.
A Global Platform for Fusion
Open to industry, research, and policy stakeholders worldwide - from fusion to nuclear medicine and nuclear research
next is more than a facility — it is an enabling platform for the entire fusion community.
Its results will accelerate timelines, reduce risks, and cut costs for reactor developers across all concepts.
Proposed by EUROfusion, recognized by leading experts, and supported by Fusion Expert Groups, next carries the momentum and credibility to complement ITER and other facilities to realize fusion power. It represents the next critical infrastructure of global fusion development.
Join Us in Building the Future of Fusion
An open invitation to partners, industry, and investors
If you are developing fusion technologies — or require access to a safe and accessible intense neutron flux environment — next is your platform.
KFT is building partnerships with industry, research organizations, and policymakers to make operational fusion a reality.
We invite you to connect and shape this decisive step together.