![]() He explains that generating fusion energy is like burning firewood. Pietro Barabaschi, general director of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France Image: Sushmitha Ramakrishnan/DW Sitting at the center of this industrial landscape, Pietro Barabaschi, the Director General of ITER, promises that the future of fusion energy is bright. Busy scientists and technicians roam the reactor's campus in hard hats, rubber boots and neon vests. The project's compound is laden with metal sheds, workshops and equipment. Located a couple of hours from the scenic coast of southern France, ITER stands out along the idyllic landscape surrounding it. To look into this, DW visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a large collaborative project between nuclear fusion experts from 35 nations. 'Like burning firewood'īut is nuclear fusion really a "greener" alternative to what we're doing now, and how far have we come in generating electricity from this process? ![]() It can release nearly 4 million times more energy than chemical reactions like burning coal, oil or gas, and four times more than nuclear fission, the process currently used in all nuclear power plants around the world.ĭiscovered in the early 20th century, fusion is seen as the future of energy by many policymakers, especially in Europe. That's because the nuclear fusion reaction has a higher energy potential than all other energy sources we know. But despite its complexity, scientists working on the technology say it's worth the trouble. If you work in atomic energy, you've probably heard the joke: Generating electricity from nuclear fusion is always just 30 years away. Here's what you need to know about nuclear fusion. On December 5, 2022, NIF scientists conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history in which more energy was produced from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it. This setback has made nuclear fission - not fusion - the default preference in the pursuit of limitless, zero-carbon power, despite its health and safety risks. Granholm.įor decades, scientists have pumped more energy into experimental fusion reactors than the total new energy created in the process. "This is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will undoubtedly spark even more discovery,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Scientists at the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) successfully generated a "net energy gain" using nuclear fusion in a lab for the first time. The US Department of Energy announced a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology on Tuesday.
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