The unimaginably complex task of generating, containing and commercializing fusion energy is undoubtedly one of the greatest scientific undertakings of our time.
Since the 1950s, hordes of the world's top scientists and engineers have been working to transform the process that powers the sun into a clean, safe and virtually unlimited source of energy for humanity.
Despite enormous advances, fusion energy has always seemed like a technology that is “still 20 years away.” But the tides are changing.
“We have all the materials, magnets and lasers we need to make nuclear fusion feasible today.” Novatron Fusion CEO Peter Roos told TNW.
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“Now we need to refine the systems and arrive at a successful design or series of successful designs,” he said. Novatron, a startup based in Stockholm, is building a “mirror” fusion reactor that claims to solve one of the biggest mysteries of nuclear fusion – the stability of plasma.
Fusion is gaining momentum
Last month, British startup First Light Fusion made its breakthrough World record in printing for fusion energy using a giant “cannon” machine that fires projectiles at nuclear fuel and fuses the atoms together. The reaction pThe pressure rose to over 1.85 terapascals – almost four times the pressure in the Earth's core.
In February the Common European Torus (JET) – a huge donut-shaped machine in Oxford – put a new one World record in energy emissions. It produced 69 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds.
While several fusion machines re produceThere are currently no regular reactions on Earth, most of which only last a few seconds. The biggest challenge is sustaining electricity production over a longer period of time. Korean researchers reported this week that they have sustained a fusion reaction at 100 million degrees Celsius 48 seconds – a world first.
Although the three achievements may seem insignificant on their own, they represent major breakthroughs in terms of pressure generated, energy produced and duration – key factors for viable fusion reactions.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Countless such recordings have been reported in recent years. A large part of it comes from Europe. More and more of them are being manufactured by private companies.
Governments are increasingly recognizing that private companies offer the fastest route to commercial fusion energy.
Much like NASA or ESA are increasingly outsourcing to private companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX, the fusion energy sector will likely consist of private fusion energy companies contracting to national agencies.
“Startups are taking decades of fusion research and bringing it to life,” Roos said. “It’s just a matter of time now [to fusion commercialisation].”
The 2030s appear to be the decade of merger breakthrough
Almost every country, scientist or startup aims to have its reactor operational sometime in the 2030s. This means you can charge your phone with fusion energy in just six years.
According to a recent survey at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forum in London, experts believe this is quite achievable. That's what around 65% of insiders think By 2035, nuclear fusion will generate electricity for the grid at a reasonable costand 90% by 2040, the Telegraph reported.
The most important driver is decarbonization. Fusion energy promises to provide essential baseload energy for a future world that relies largely on intermittent renewables such as wind and solar. “Fusion will not replace all other energy sources, but rather complement them,” said Roos.
Unlike its little brother, nuclear fission, fusion energy is safe, produces almost no long-term waste and requires hardly any water for cooling. The fuels used, deuterium or tritium, are virtually unlimited, at least for the next few thousand years.
In the race to expand clean energy sources, it's no wonder governments are betting big on fusion.
In the USA, Congress recently approved a record-breaking measure $763 million for Fusion energy research. China launched its own fusion consortium in January, bringing together some of the country's biggest industrial giants to build a viable fusion reactor.
Europe lies between these two giants.
Europe is ready to take the lead
In 2014, EU member states came together to form EUROFusion, the bloc's answer to expanding research and development in fusion energy. The program has a budget of €1 billion between 2021 and 2025.
The proverbial “baby” of EUROFusion is ITER, a A fusion reactor worth 22 billion euros is currently under construction in France. While the project has faced several delays, ITER will deliver its first plasma next year.
“ITER will provide a wealth of insight for startups pursuing commercially viable fusion reactions,” said Roos.
Other machines like Wendelstein 7-X at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany were the springboard for start-ups like Proxima Fusion.
But perhaps Europe's greatest asset is the United Kingdom. The UK has been aggressively pursuing fusion research for decades. The Culham Center for Fusion Energy near Oxford is widely regarded as the epicenter of global fusion energy research.
Culham is home to the Joint European Torus (JET), which was the backbone of fusion research for more than 40 years before retiring in December.
The UK is currently developing JET's replacement, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project, a £2 billion grid-connected fusion project reactor which aims to produce more electricity than it consumes.
Well-funded start-ups such as First Light Fusion and Tokamak Energy, spin-outs from the cluster, have emerged from Culham's wealth of knowledge.
The European research and reactor base gives the companies operating there a significant advantage. Now all they have to do is stay there.
Can Europe keep its talent?
While Europe may have the upper hand in research, cash flow flows more freely in the US.
On the one hand, the American fusion startup Commonwealth Fusion (backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson) has secured billions of dollars to be the first to commercialize fusion energy. This is far more than any other European company.
Germany's Marvel Fusion announced last year that it had chosen the United States to build a $150 million laser facility.
When asked why he chose the US, CEO Moritz von der Linden told the Financial Times that it was “the fastest and most capital efficient way for us to proceed with construction of this facility.”
As the race for commercial fusion heats up, supporting European startups will be crucial to fostering a strong local fusion energy sector that does not rely on foreign technology.
“We [Europe] We need sufficient public funding for fusion innovation, but also policy incentives that encourage further private investment in the fusion sector,” he said Cyrille Mai ThanhDirector for Europe at the Fusion Industry Association.
Whoever wins the race, the good news is that nearly 70 years since humanity began its search for the power of the sun, the day of fusion energy is finally dawning. And that is positive progress for all of us, no matter how you look at it.
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