Advancements in nuclear fusion technology have brought us closer to the possibility of generating clean, carbon-free energy on a large scale. Private companies are now joining the effort, aiming to make fusion energy commercially viable and profitable.
Unlike traditional nuclear fission reactors, fusion energy produces minimal radioactive waste and relies on isotopes of hydrogen, such as tritium and deuterium, rather than heavy elements like uranium. The end products of a fusion reaction are helium and neutrons.
Fusion technology offers numerous advantages, including a virtually limitless supply of energy without the need for vast land areas like solar or wind energy. It also eliminates the risk of runaway chain reactions seen in nuclear fission plants like Chernobyl.
While the concept of fusion power is well-understood, implementing it on Earth presents significant challenges. The recent success at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) in achieving net energy gains from fusion marks a major milestone in the journey towards sustainable fusion energy.
Transitioning from lab experiments to functional fusion reactors remains a complex task that requires advancements in both laser and magnetic confinement fusion technologies. Laser fusion, driven by ultra-short laser pulses, has shown promise in producing net energy gains, but further research and development are needed to make it a reliable source of electricity.
Magnetic fusion, utilizing powerful magnetic fields to contain and heat plasma, offers another pathway to achieving sustained fusion reactions. Innovators in the fusion energy sector are dedicated to overcoming technical barriers and turning fusion power into a practical and efficient energy source for the future.
Neutrons can pass through the magnetic field and are captured by a “blanket” outside the wall, generating heat for electricity. Scientists have improved magnets to generate more energy over the years.
In 1982, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory created the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) which set world records for heating plasma to 510 million degrees centigrade and producing 10.7 million watts of fusion energy. England’s Joint European Torus (JET) and the ITER tokamak in France have also achieved significant fusion energy milestones.
China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) has also been successful. The challenges lie in creating a durable structure to contain the reactions and draw energy from them. The vessel wall materials must withstand extreme heat and prevent plasma-material interactions.
Research is ongoing to develop materials like liquid lithium to dissipate heat and prevent damage to the reactor. Producing fuel for fusion, particularly tritium, is another challenge that needs to be addressed for large-scale fusion energy production.
Investment in fusion energy is on the rise, with many start-up companies receiving government subsidies for commercial fusion development. The DOE has announced grants and funding to support the development of fusion-based electricity in the coming years.
Private investment capital into nuclear fusion has doubled over the past two years, reaching nearly $6 billion as of 2023, according to EnergyWorld.
Helion Energy, a start-up based in Washington state, signed an agreement with Microsoft last year to deliver 50 megawatts of fusion-based electricity by 2028.
“There is no doubt we still have a lot of work to do, but we are confident in our ability to deliver the world’s first fusion power facility,” Helion co-founder and CEO David Kirtly said in a statement.
While investors hope for commercial fusion to become a reality within a decade, many insiders believe there is a longer road ahead.
“If they can sustain that rate of investment, then demos could be seen by the mid-2030s, and engineering reactors by the early 2040s,” Fedosejevs said.
Emdee takes a more cautious view, stating, “Optimistic estimates of fusion providing power to the grid may be in the 2040s. However, more conservative estimates, which I personally believe are more realistic, point towards the 2060s or 2070s.”
