Although nowhere near the size of ITER, the Wendelstein 7-X is still a substantial machine.

ECONOMIST: Fusion power

The Wendelstein 7-AS, a tiddler with a fuel capacity of but a single cubic metre, was built by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics at Garching, Germany, and operated from 1988 to 2002.

ECONOMIST: Fusion power

As a result, the 7-AS is being followed by a larger machine, the Wendelstein 7-X, which is being built (see photograph on previous page) by the Max Planck Institute in Greifswald and has a capacity of 30 cubic metres.

ECONOMIST: Fusion power