Major advance at fusion startup OpenStar in New Zealand; China passes fusion barrier; Japan-based Helical Fusion completes ‘one-of-a-kind’ coil manufacturing machine

Carli Smith, fusion researcher at Kyoto Fusioneering, gives today's global fusion news update. Links to all of the stories mentioned are included below.

1. Fusion Startup Claims Major Advance in New Zealand Trial

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-17/nuclear-fusion-startup-claims-major-advance-in-new-zealand-trial 

2. China has just broken a barrier that physicists believed to be unbreakable for decades, and its 150 million-degree artificial sun could bring us closer than ever to the energy of the stars

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/china-has-just-broken-a-barrier-that-physicists-believed-to-be-unbreakable-for-decades-and-its-150-million-degree-artificial-sun-could-bring-us-closer-than-ever-to-the-energy-of-the-stars/27313/

3. Japan fusion startup completes ‘one-of-a-kind’ coil manufacturing machine

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/japan-fusion-startup-completes-coil-manufacturing 

4. Proxima Fusion seeks €2 Billion to build a nuclear fusion test facility

https://thenextweb.com/news/proxima-fusion-seeks-e2-billion-to-build-a-nuclear-fusion-test-facility 

Bonus:

https://biztimes.com/new-wisconsin-consortium-will-grow-states-fusion-energy-ecosystem/ 

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/ukaea-backs-fusion-tech/