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    Future Circular Collider (FCC)

    Also known as FCC, FCC-ee, FCC-hh

    The Future Circular Collider is a proposed 90.7 km collider under France and Switzerland that would first collide electrons and positrons as a Higgs factory (FCC-ee) and later protons at around 100 TeV (FCC-hh).[1][2] In May 2026 the CERN Council named FCC-ee its preferred next flagship; a decision on whether to build it, at an estimated 15 billion Swiss francs for the first stage, is due by 2028.[3][4][5]

    Editor reviewedUpdated Particle physics and cosmologyPhysicsScience
    Key facts

    What it is

    The Future Circular Collider (FCC) is CERN‘s proposal for a ring 90.7 km around, at an average depth of 200 metres under France and Switzerland.[1] It is planned in two stages. First comes an electron-positron collider, FCC-ee, working as a “Higgs factory”. Later, a proton-proton collider, FCC-hh, would reach a collision energy of around 100 TeV in the same tunnel.[2] By comparison, the large-hadron-collider reaches 13.6 TeV.[6]

    Physics goals

    CERN says the FCC is designed to study the Higgs boson and its interactions with other particles in detail. It would also search for dark matter candidates and other physics beyond the Standard Model.[7] The 2026 strategy update describes FCC-ee as offering the broadest exploratory programme in fundamental physics.[3]

    Feasibility, cost and timeline

    CERN released the three-volume FCC feasibility study on 31 March 2025.[8] It estimates the electron-positron stage, including the tunnel and all infrastructure, at 15 billion Swiss francs, spread over about 12 years from the early 2030s.[4] If approved, CERN says the FCC would come online around 2045.[9]

    Detector work has already started. Six detector concepts for FCC-ee are being studied at institutes around the world. Between May and August 2026, the team behind one of them, IDEA, tested prototype components in beams from CERN’s SPS and PS accelerators, among the last chances before the accelerators shut down for the LHC upgrade.[10]

    Slightly more than a third of the total cost is for digging the tunnel, so there is little room to trim, according to Physics Today’s reporting.[11] A scaled-down version could save about 15%. It would have two interaction sites instead of four, 40% less radiofrequency power and no top-quark programme.[12]

    The 2026 strategy decision

    On 22 May 2026 the CERN Council updated the European Strategy for Particle Physics and named FCC-ee the preferred next flagship project.[3] It did not approve construction. Instead, it asked CERN management to work with member states, other countries and the European Union on a financially feasible funding plan, and it will decide by 2028.[5]

    CERN’s 2026–2030 strategy, published in September 2026, sets the goal of being ready to seek Council approval for FCC-ee in 2028.[13]

    Funding is the main obstacle. Physics Today reported that the price exceeds what CERN can pay from its regular budget, requiring several billion francs more.[14] It also reported that member states facing higher defence spending may struggle to contribute extra.[15] Other outlets have covered the same pressure. Germany’s research ministry said in 2024 that it could not afford the project and called the financing plan “extremely vague”.[16] In June 2026 CERN Director-General Mark Thomson said he was “reasonably optimistic” about raising the roughly €16.5 billion needed.[17]

    Some physicists argue for a fallback. In a January 2026 Physics World opinion piece, physicist and historian Michael Riordan wrote that geopolitics make it unrealistic to expect non-member countries to pay a third of the cost. He urged CERN to prepare a cheaper “Plan B”, such as a linear collider (about €10 billion) or an LEP3 collider in the existing LHC tunnel (under €5 billion, but limited to 240 GeV).[18]

    International context

    China’s competing 100 km CEPC was left out of the country’s 2026-2030 five-year plan.[19] Its lead scientist said China would resubmit in 2030 unless the FCC is approved first, in which case it would seek to join the FCC.[20] The US P5 roadmap recommends a significant US in-kind contribution to an offshore Higgs factory.[21]

    Questions readers ask

    How big would the FCC be?

    Its ring would be 90.7 km around, at an average depth of 200 metres. The LHC's ring is 27 km.[1][22]

    How much would it cost?

    CERN estimates 15 billion Swiss francs for the electron-positron stage, including the tunnel and infrastructure, spread over about 12 years.[4]

    When could it start?

    If approved, CERN says the FCC would come online around 2045. A decision is expected by 2028.[9][5]

    Is there a competing project?

    China proposed a similar 100 km collider, CEPC, but it was left out of China's 2026-2030 five-year plan. Its lead scientist said China would seek to join the FCC if it is approved first.[19][20]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      The proposed Future Circular Collider would have a 90.7 km ring at an average depth of 200 metres under France and Switzerland. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    2. [2]

      The FCC plan has two stages, an electron-positron collider (FCC-ee) working as a Higgs factory first, followed by a proton-proton collider (FCC-hh) at a collision energy of around 100 TeV. confirmedas of 2025-03-31

    3. [3]

      On 22 May 2026 the CERN Council updated the European Strategy for Particle Physics, naming the electron-positron Future Circular Collider as the preferred next flagship project. confirmedas of 2026-05-22

    4. [4]

      CERN estimates the cost of building the FCC electron-positron stage, including the tunnel and infrastructure, at 15 billion Swiss francs, spread over about 12 years from the early 2030s. confirmedas of 2025-03-31

    5. [5]

      The CERN Council asked CERN management to develop a financially feasible funding plan for FCC-ee with member states, other countries and the EU, will receive annual progress reports from management, and will decide on the project by 2028. confirmedas of 2026-05-22

    6. [6]

      The LHC collides protons at 13.6 TeV, the highest energy reached in a laboratory. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    7. [7]

      CERN describes the FCC as a Higgs factory designed to study the Higgs boson and its interactions in detail, and to search for dark matter candidates and other physics beyond the Standard Model. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    8. [8]

      CERN released the three-volume FCC feasibility study on 31 March 2025. confirmedas of 2025-03-31

    9. [9]

      If approved, the FCC would come online around 2045, with a construction decision expected in 2028. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    10. [10]

      Six detector concepts for FCC-ee are being studied worldwide, and between May and August 2026 the IDEA concept team tested prototype detector components in beams from CERN's SPS and PS, among the last such tests before Long Shutdown 3. confirmedas of 2026-10-07

    11. [11]

      Slightly more than a third of the FCC's total cost is for excavating the tunnel, leaving little room for cost cutting, according to Physics Today's reporting. reportedas of 2026-06-18

    12. [12]

      A scaled-down FCC with two interaction sites instead of four, 40% less radiofrequency power and no top-quark programme could save about 15% of the cost. reportedas of 2026-06-18

    13. [13]

      In September 2026 CERN published its 2026–2030 strategy, approved by the CERN Council in June, which makes timely completion of the High-Luminosity LHC its number-one priority and aims for CERN to be in a position to seek Council approval for FCC-ee in 2028. confirmedas of 2026-09-16

    14. [14]

      Physics Today reported in June 2026 that the FCC's 15.3 billion Swiss franc price exceeds what CERN can pay from its budget, requiring several billion francs in additional funding. reportedas of 2026-06-18

    15. [15]

      Physics Today reported that CERN member states may be too squeezed to pay more than their existing contributions, as many are raising defence spending because of the war in Ukraine. reportedas of 2026-06-18

    16. [16]

      In May 2024 Germany's research ministry, a major CERN funder, said it could not afford to fund the FCC and called its financing plan "extremely vague". reportedas of 2024-05-28

    17. [17]

      In June 2026 CERN Director-General Mark Thomson said he was "reasonably optimistic" about securing the roughly €16.5 billion needed to build the FCC, whose cost Research Professional News described as controversial. reportedas of 2026-06-10

    18. [18]

      In a January 2026 Physics World opinion piece, physicist and historian Michael Riordan argued that geopolitics make it unrealistic to expect non-member countries to fund a third of the FCC, put FCC-ee's cost at about $18 billion with operations around 2050, and urged CERN to prepare a cheaper "Plan B" such as linear colliders (roughly €10 billion) or an LEP3 collider in the LHC tunnel (under €5 billion, up to 240 GeV). confirmedas of 2026-01-29· interpretation

    19. [19]

      China's proposed 100 km Circular Electron-Positron Collider (CEPC), whose technical design reports were completed in October 2025, was not included in China's 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    20. [20]

      CEPC's lead scientist said the project would be resubmitted in 2030 unless the FCC is approved first, in which case China would seek to join the FCC. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    21. [21]

      The December 2023 US P5 report recommended early implementation of DUNE, a significant US in-kind contribution to an offshore Higgs factory, and supported hosting a muon collider at Fermilab. confirmedas of 2023-12-08

    22. [22]

      The Large Hadron Collider is a 27-kilometre ring about 100 metres underground on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva; it first started up on 10 September 2008. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    Revision history (2)
    1. Page created.
    2. Added FCC-ee detector beam tests, CERN's 2026–2030 strategy target, and independent sources on funding: Germany's 2024 objection, Thomson's 2026 optimism and Michael Riordan's 'Plan B' critique.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Future Circular Collider (FCC)." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/future-circular-collider

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