Fusion energy, a process where atomic nuclei combine to form heavier nuclei, releases an enormous amount of energy, and holds immense promise for providing virtually unlimited clean energy with minimal environmental impact. This is unlike nuclear fission, used in current nuclear reactors, which produces hazardous radioactive waste. Fusion results in helium—a harmless gas—and generates far less pollution than fossil fuels, which are responsible for most global carbon emissions.
Recent breakthroughs, such as the National Ignition Facility’s (NIF) success in achieving a net energy gain in 2022, show that we are one step closer to making fusion a reality. In this experiment, 2.05 megajoules of energy were input, and 3.15 megajoules were produced – about 1.5 times the energy initially used. This proves that fusion can produce more energy than it consumes. However, while this is a significant milestone, it remains more of a proof of concept than an immediate solution. The small amount of energy produced reveals how far we still must go.
In theory, fusion can be incredibly potent. A single glass of water, utilised through fusion, could power a household for 800 years! This potential comes from fusing deuterium and tritium: isotopes of hydrogen, an element found around us. One gram of this fuel could generate as much energy as 2,400 gallons of oil, offering a future where clean, powerful energy eliminates the need for carbon-based energy and helps curb climate change.
Despite these promising developments, fusion remains distant from being a practical energy source. One major challenge is producing sustained energy. For example, NIF’s 2022 experiment only lasted 0.08 nanoseconds, and while it produced more energy than it consumed, the facility required 300 megajoules from the grid—about 100 times more than the reaction produced. Moreover, fusion reactors need to operate continuously to be viable, yet the current setup can only run one laser shot per day. A commercial fusion power plant must generate energy consistently, a technological hurdle still unsolved.
Another setback is the fuel—tritium is incredibly rare and expensive, costing about $30,000 per gram. While methods exist to produce tritium, such as breeding it in reactors, the costs and technical difficulties make large-scale production unviable. This, along with managing the extreme temperatures and pressures required for fusion, means that commercial fusion power remains unviable.
Despite fusion’s immense potential, the field suffers from persistent underfunding, with projects such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) delayed by limited resources, causing progress to move at a snail’s pace. In 2023, for example, the U.K. government allocated £750 million to fusion research over four years, while the oil and gas industry received £13.6 billion in subsidies in 2022 alone, plus additional tax reliefs worth tens of billions more! This disparity highlights the prioritisation of short-term fossil fuel profits over long-term clean energy investments, as oil companies continue to benefit from government support.
The transition to cleaner energy requires a systemic change in energy management. Unlike current profit-driven models, democratic planning and oversight in energy decisions are essential, ensuring public funds go toward technologies that benefit society, rather than corporate shareholders. Oil and gas workers should not be left behind; retraining programs are needed to help them transition into the clean energy sector, such as fusion research or renewable energy.
While fusion offers a promising solution to environmental crises, its development is hampered by scientific and economic barriers. To realise its potential, we must not only increase funding for research but have a planned and democratic transition from the fossil-fuel-dominated energy system.
Resources:
https://www.power-technology.com/news/scientists-achieve-second-nuclear-fusion-breakthrough/?cf-view
https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/oil-and-gas-industry-outside-interests/
https://www.space.com/fusion-ignition-scientists-skeptical-explained
https://www.universetoday.com/159166/fusion-ignition-breakthrough-raises-hopes-questions/
Written by Nishwal Gora, who is a 4th-year physics student with a specific interest in quantum and nuclear physics.
Edited by Emma Walsh, one of EUSci’s Online Editors, who is currently an undergraduate studying Biomedical Sciences.
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