Nuclear power plants that fuse hydrogen nuclei to form helium in a manner similar to that found deep within the sun might one day make a major contribution to solving energy-related climate change. Not only do fusion power plants emit no CO2, they do not produce any radioactive waste. Plasma physics research has progressed far enough that scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching near Munich are now working together with Siemens Corporate Technology on “multiple use” technologies that would make the knowledge gained from fusion research available – for example, to increase power plant efficiency. The focus here is on aspects such as a fusion reactor’s interior walls. During operation, these walls sometimes have to withstand temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Celsius, which is something that few materials can do. Substances that are this heat-resistant and mechanically stable would also be useful in other applications such as the turbine blades of combined cycle power plants. To date, these turbines could not be operated at temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius because the heat in combination with centrifugal forces would otherwise deform the blades. However, the tungsten alloys that are being developed for fusion power plants would allow turbine blades to operate reliably and more efficiently at higher temperatures. In fact, the efficiency of a combined cycle power plant rises by about one percentage point for every 100 degrees that the temperature is increased. Such tungsten alloy components cannot be used in combined cycle turbines as is, however, since they also need special metallic or ceramic coatings to protect them against oxidation and corrosion. This is exactly where experts from CT plan to do their research if studies conducted in cooperation with the IPP show that the new protective coatings for turbine blades promise to be commercially and technologically successful.