Right now, there is a hot debate going on about whether or not nuclear power should be. But there is one type of energy that could make that discussion irrelevant: Fusion.
“It is definitely the energy source of the future, for several reasons“
Lorenzo Frassinetti, fusion researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Sweden
The problem with fusion is that it does not yet fully exist. For decades, scientists have dreamed of solving the mystery of fusion, but it is still just a dream, albeit an increasingly fragile one.
But there are still many challenges to be solved. One of the problems is that they still haven’t managed to get more energy out of a fusion reactor than they put in. But you constantly take steps forward, says Lorenzo Frassinetti.
In recent years alone, great progress has been made in the construction of ITER.
Test reactor for 22 billion €
In France, the giant experimental reactor ITER will soon be completed. There, researchers from 35 different countries will try to create a functioning fusion power plant, financed with tax money from the participating countries, which will then lead to the construction of fission power plants that begin to produce electricity.
When it is completed in 2025, the goal is to generate 500 megawatts by heating plasma to 150 million degrees for a few minutes. In those temperatures, hydrogen atoms will undergo fusion and collide with each other, creating enormous amounts of energy.
The energy of the future
Fusion is sometimes cited as the saviour of the world’s growing energy needs. That is only partially true, emphasizes Lorenzo Frassinetti, because future energy consumption is expected to be enormous.
Energy demand is expected to increase exponentially. Humanity will therefore need to use all available sustainable energy sources, from wind turbines to nuclear power to fusion.
Source: svt
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