Released today, a report of a study investigating the feasibility of the project will serve as a contribution to the European particle physics strategy and will be evaluated by the CERN Council in the coming months
After several years of intense work, CERN and international partners have completed a study to assess the feasibility of a possible future circular collision (FCC). Reflecting the expertise of more than a thousand physicists and engineers around the world, the report presents an overview of the various aspects linked to the potential implementation of such a project.
The FCC is a particle collisionman proposed with a circumference of approximately 91 km which could succeed the current flagship instrument of the CERN – the great collision of Hadrons of 27 km (LHC) – in the 2040s. Its scientific motivation stems from the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012, as well as other crucial questions pending in fundamental physics.
The Higgs boson is the simplest particle but the most perplexed discovered so far, with properties that have large -scale implications for our existence. It is linked to the mechanism which allowed elementary particles such as electrons to gain mass in mass a fraction of a nanosecond after the big bang, allowing atoms and structures to form. It can also be linked to the fate of the universe and could potentially shed light on the many unsolved mysteries of modern physics.
As described in the feasibility study report, the FCC research program describes two possible steps: an electron-posositron collision used as a Higgs, Electrweak and Top-Quark factory operating at different central mass energies, followed at a later stage by a proton-proton TEV operating to an unprecedented collision energy of approximately 100 TEV. The complementary physics programs of each step correspond to the highest priorities set out in the 2020 update of the European particle physics strategy.
The report covers vast aspects related to the potential implementation of such a project. These include the objectives of physics, geology, civil engineering, technical infrastructure, territorial and environmental dimensions, R&D needs for accelerators and detectors, socioeconomic advantages and cost.
The estimated cost of building the Electron-Postitron FCC stadium, including the tunnel and all the infrastructure, is 15 billion Swiss francs. This investment, which would be distributed over a period of approximately 12 years from the early 2030s, includes civil engineering, technical infrastructure, electron and positron accelerators and four operating detectors. As was the case for the construction of the LHC, the majority of funding would come from the current annual budget of the CERN.
The CERN has committed that any new project in the laboratory would be a copy of a sustainable research infrastructure, integrating the principles of the Ecodésign in each phase of the project, from design to construction, operations and dismantling. The report details the concepts and paths to maintain the Environmental imprint of low FCC while stimulating new technologies for the benefit of society and in the development of territorial synergies such as the reuse of energy.
A major element of the FCC feasibility study was the arrangement and placement of the collision ring and the related infrastructure, which have been studied with diligence to maximize scientific advantages while taking into account territorial compatibility, environmental and construction constraints and costs. No less than 100 scenarios were developed and analyzed before settling in the preferred option: an annular circumference of 90.7 km at an average depth of 200 m, with eight surface sites and four experiments.
Throughout the feasibility study process, CERN is accompanied by its two host states, France and Switzerland, working with entities at local, regional and national levels. The processes of engagement with the public are prepared in accordance with the respective executives of the host states to ensure a constructive dialogue with the territorial stakeholders.
The report, which does not involve any commitment from the CERN member and the member states associated with the construction of the FCC, will be examined by various independent expert organizations before being examined by the CERN council during a meeting dedicated in November 2025. The Council may make a decision on the opportunity to continue the FCC project around 2028.
Particle collides play a unique role in physical exploration. They also allow the development of unprecedented technologies in many areas of relevance for the company, ranging from superconductive materials for medical applications, fusion energy research and electricity transmission to advanced accelerators and detectors for medical applications and many other applications.
The FCC feasibility study was launched following the 2020s update of the European Particular Physics strategy and will serve as a contribution to the continuous updating of the strategy, as well as the studies of alternative projects proposed by the scientific community.
Additional information:
- Study of the feasibility of the circular collisions future volume 1: physics and experiences is here
- REGISTRY PRIBURCEMENT OF Circular collisions Volume 2: Accelerators, Technical and Safety Infrastructure is here
- Future Circular Circular Collions Study Report Volume 3: Civil engineering, implementation and sustainability is here
- The media kit on the FCC feasibility study is there.
