Naju City Secures 12 Billion KRW in National Funding for 'Fusion Superconducting Conductor Facility'

Laying the Foundation for Korea's Fusion Commercialization
Advancing as a Global Leader in Fusion Energy

Aerial view of the superconducting conductor test facility experimental building. Provided by Naju City

Naju City in South Jeolla Province announced that it has secured 12 billion won (approximately 120 billion KRW) in national funding for next year to accelerate the construction of a superconducting conductor test facility for a fusion demonstration reactor.

To secure this national funding, Naju City made continuous visits to the National Assembly and actively explained the necessity of the project. As a result, the city has secured 12 billion won (approximately 120 billion KRW) in national funding for 2026, enabling it to speed up the construction of a world-class "fusion superconducting conductor test facility."

The "Superconducting Conductor Test Facility Construction Project" is one of the eight core technologies essential for the development of a Korean fusion demonstration reactor. The goal is to establish a test and research infrastructure for 16-tesla (500MW) class superconducting conductors required for the commercialization of fusion energy. Through this, the project aims to secure the design and operational facilities for 16-tesla class superconducting magnet systems.

This test facility will serve as a world-class core infrastructure, allowing superconducting conductors to be tested and evaluated under actual operating conditions for use in fusion demonstration reactors. In addition to securing technology for designing and manufacturing large, high-magnetic-field superconducting magnets, the facility is expected to attract international demand for superconducting conductor testing to Korea, enabling the country to gain a competitive edge in the global market.

In particular, superconducting conductor technology is not only crucial for fusion research and development, but also applicable to various industries that require extreme technologies (such as cryogenic environments), including medical devices, power systems, and accelerators. The project is therefore expected to have a significant ripple effect across other industries as well.

This project has a total budget of 49.5 billion won (48 billion won in national funding and 1.5 billion won from the private sector). Since 2022, it has been jointly promoted by Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) and the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), with facility construction currently underway at KENTECH.

The goal is to complete construction of the experimental building in the first half of 2026. After completion, the design and manufacturing of research equipment, procurement of conductors for superconducting magnet production, manufacturing, and commissioning will proceed sequentially.

Meanwhile, the core requirement for "fusion," also known as the artificial sun, is plasma control, for which superconducting magnets are essential.

To date, Naju City has proactively built a future energy industry ecosystem centered around Korea Electric Power Corporation, over 670 Energy Valley companies, and KENTECH, the only energy-specialized university in Korea.

Once this test facility is completed, it will be the only facility in Korea capable of testing 16-tesla class superconducting conductors. This is expected to mark a significant turning point for Korea in securing technological leadership in the global fusion industry.

In academia, it is assessed that securing superconducting conductor technology-one of the eight core technologies for the artificial sun-played a major role in enhancing Naju's competitiveness in attracting the "Fusion Core Technology Development and Advanced Infrastructure Construction Project" announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT on October 15.

Furthermore, once the artificial sun research facility is established in the future, the two projects are expected to generate synergy in the commercialization of fusion technology and in securing global energy leadership.

An official from Naju City stated, "This project goes beyond simply building a research facility. It is expected to have multi-dimensional effects, including securing core infrastructure for fusion demonstration reactors, strengthening commercialization capabilities, and expanding the regional energy industry ecosystem. Alongside the construction of the test facility, we will strengthen the collaboration system among industry, government, and research institutes in the fusion sector, positioning Naju as a hub for fusion and future energy industries and establishing a foundation for the city to become a key base for leading national strategic technologies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.