Sustainability The future of clean energy is fusion power, not renewables

[Maciamo]

The future of energy may not be in renewables like solar, wind and hydro, but in nuclear energy, and more specifically the long-awaited nuclear fusion (as opposed to the nuclear fission powering all existing nuclear plants). Fusion power plants offer numerous benefits that make them a promising solution for future energy needs:

Environmental Benefits​

• Zero carbon emissions: Fusion reactions produce no greenhouse gases during operation, making it an environmentally friendly energy source.
• Clean energy: The fusion process generates no long-lived radioactive waste, contributing to a cleaner environment.

Energy Security and Sustainability​

• Abundant fuel supply: Fusion fuel (deuterium and tritium) can be extracted from seawater, ensuring a virtually limitless and globally accessible energy source.
• High energy density: One kilogram of fusion fuel can produce energy equivalent to 10 million kilograms of coal.
• On-demand energy: Fusion power plants can provide secure, dispatchable energy regardless of weather conditions.

Safety and Reliability​

• Inherent safety: Fusion reactions are self-limiting, making meltdowns impossible.
• Minimal waste: Fusion produces only small amounts of short-lived radioactive materials.

Versatility and Scalability​

• Flexible siting: Fusion plants can be located almost anywhere, including near population centers or industrial areas.
• Dual-purpose capability: In addition to electricity generation, fusion can provide heat for industrial processes.
• Scalability: With limited regulatory burdens, fusion technology can be scaled effectively.

By offering clean, abundant, and reliable energy, fusion power plants have the potential to transform the global energy landscape and play a crucial role in combating climate change while meeting increasing energy demands.

Some notable projects include:

1. JT-60:
   • Location: Naka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
   • It is currently the largest operational superconducting tokamak in the world.
   • Built and operated jointly by the European Union and Japan.
2. General Fusion:
   • Location: Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
   • Fusion Demonstration Plant (FDP) expected to be commissioned in 2026 and fully operational by early 2027
3. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) ARC plant:
   • Location: Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA
   • Expected to be operational in the early 2030s
   • Expects to connect this fusion power plant to the grid in the early 2030s, generating about 400 megawatts of electricity
4. Helion Energy:
   • Location: Everett, Washington, USA
   • Plans to deliver at least 50 MW of fusion power to Microsoft by 2028
   • Collaborating with Nucor Corporation to develop a 500 MW fusion power plant, targeting operations by 2030
5. Tri Alpha Energy (TAE):
   • Location: Foothill Ranch, California, USA
   • Predicts a demonstration fusion reactor around 2029
   • Prototype for a commercial fusion power plant potentially 5 years after that
6. Tokamak Energy:
   • Location: Oxford, UK
   • Pilot fusion energy plant planned to be operational by the mid-2030s
   • Commercial demonstration feasible in the mid-second half of the 2030s with proper investment
7. ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor):
   • Location: Provence, France
   • Initial operation with deuterium-deuterium fusion: 2035
   • Full magnetic energy and plasma current operation: After 2035
   • ITER will be the largest of more than 100 fusion reactors built since the 1950s, with six times the plasma volume of JT-60SA in Japan, the largest tokamak operating today.

 

[Maciamo]

Nuclear energy is rising in many countries — with the notable exception of Germany. New nuclear plants are much safer then it was built during the Cold War era, and fusion nuclear plants are the safest of all, with no chance of nuclear meltdown.