France is making significant strides in inertial confinement nuclear fusion with the GenF project. Officially launched in January 2025, GenF is a company created by Thales to consolidate essential expertise in this field.
Thales inaugurated GenF on May 15, 2025, in Le Barp (Bordeaux). GenF aims to develop a safe, abundant, competitive, and low-carbon energy source through inertial confinement nuclear fusion. The company is collaborating with the CEA, CNRS, École Polytechnique, and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region to design an inertial confinement fusion reactor.
Thales is contributing its expertise in high-power lasers, building on 40 years of experience. This includes laser sources ranging from 10 TW to 10 petawatts and high-power electronic tubes for magnetic confinement fusion reactors, including ITER. The TARANIS project, in partnership with CEA, CNRS, and École Polytechnique, received €18.5 million in funding for its initial phase in February 2024 and aims to demonstrate the feasibility of designing an inertial confinement nuclear fusion reactor.