ESG / CSR
Industries
Ecology
Greenly solutions
As the world grapples with the growing issue of climate change, the search for sustainable and clean energy sources has become more urgent than ever. Fossil fuels – the backbone of global energy production – are significant contributors to climate change, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the Earth's atmosphere. And while renewable energy sources like solar and wind power have made significant advances, they’re not yet capable of providing consistent and reliable energy on a global scale. Some believe that nuclear fusion could offer a better solution for addressing our future energy needs as it promises an almost limitless supply of energy with minimal environmental impact. However, realising this potential means overcoming scientific and engineering challenges.
👉 In this article, we’ll explore nuclear fusion, its benefits and technological challenges, and its potential to address our future energy needs while combating climate change.
In simple terms, nuclear fusion is the process of combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a substantial amount of energy. This process powers the sun and stars and has the potential to provide a nearly limitless, clean energy source.
Fusion occurs in a state of matter called plasma, which is a hot, charged gas composed of positive ions and free-moving electrons. In the sun, nuclear fusion happens under extreme temperatures and pressures, created by its immense gravity. To achieve fusion on Earth, we need to replicate these conditions using advanced technology to heat the plasma to millions of degrees and maintain high pressure.
While nuclear fusion has been achieved in experimental settings, sustaining a controlled fusion reaction that produces more energy than it consumes remains a challenge. However, scientists are making exciting advances toward this goal, and if successful, nuclear fusion could revolutionise our energy landscape by providing a powerful, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
The principle behind nuclear fusion involves replicating the extreme conditions found in the core of stars, where immense pressure and high temperatures force atomic nuclei to overcome their natural repulsion and fuse. On Earth, achieving these conditions requires heating a plasma of hydrogen isotopes to temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius. In this state, the nuclei can collide with enough energy to fuse, creating helium and releasing vast amounts of energy.
Nuclear fusion differs fundamentally from nuclear fission, which is the process used in current nuclear power plants. While fission splits heavy atomic nuclei to release energy, fusion merges light nuclei. Fusion typically uses isotopes of hydrogen, such as deuterium and tritium, to produce helium and energy. This method promises greater safety and minimal radioactive waste compared to fission.
Nuclear fusion offers a number of significant advantages:
Despite these advantages, achieving commercial-scale nuclear fusion remains a significant scientific and engineering challenge. Continued research, innovation, and international collaboration are essential to overcoming these challenges and realising the promise of nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fusion research has seen significant advancements over the past few decades, bringing us closer to achieving practical fusion energy. Scientists and engineers around the world are working on various experimental projects to develop a stable and efficient fusion reaction.
Recent advancements include success in sustaining high-temperature plasma for extended periods and controlled fusion reactions. Though, perhaps the most significant breakthrough was the achievement of a ‘net energy gain’ in a laboratory setting - this is where the energy produced by the fusion reaction exceeds the energy input, although only for brief moments. These advancements have led to hope that fusion energy could become a practical reality in the near future.
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)
ITER, located in France, is one of the largest and most ambitious nuclear fusion projects in the world. It aims to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. Scheduled to produce its first plasma by 2025, ITER is a collaborative project involving 35 nations, including the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. ITER's success would be a significant step toward making fusion energy commercially viable.
JET (Joint European Torus)
JET, based in the UK, is another prominent fusion research facility. It has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of fusion and testing plasma confinement techniques. JET holds the record for the highest energy output from a controlled fusion reaction, achieving 59 megajoules of energy in a five-second pulse. The insights gained from JET are crucial for the development of ITER and future fusion reactors.
Advancements in the US and UK
In the United States, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has achieved significant milestones, including the first demonstration of a net energy gain from a fusion reaction in 2022. The UK is also making strides with its STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) program, which aims to design and build a compact fusion reactor by 2040.
Despite the progress, there are a number of significant challenges that stand in the way of nuclear fusion becoming feasible on a commercial scale:
Despite the technical and scientific hurdles, researchers are exploring various approaches to overcome these challenges:
While significant progress has been made in the journey to make nuclear fusion energy a reality, the road remains long and there are many challenges ahead. While exact timelines are difficult to pin down, experts generally agree that we might see fusion power contributing to the energy grid within the next century. Optimistic projections suggest that demonstration reactors could be operational by the 2030s, with commercial fusion power plants potentially coming online by 2050.
Optimistic projections are fuelled by recent breakthroughs and advancements in fusion technology. Some private companies and research institutions believe that with continued innovation and investment, we could see the first fusion reactors producing net energy within the next 10 to 15 years.
However, experts remind us that the technical and engineering challenges that remain are significant. Achieving sustained, controlled fusion reactions that consistently produce more energy than they consume is a huge hurdle. Additionally, transitioning from experimental setups to scalable, economically viable fusion power plants requires overcoming substantial scientific, engineering, and financial challenges. Most experts believe that while pilot projects may emerge in the next two decades, widespread commercial deployment of fusion energy might not occur until the 2050s at the earliest.
Sustained investment and international cooperation are critical to the success of nuclear fusion as a viable energy source. Fusion research is incredibly resource-intensive, requiring significant financial investment. Government funding, private-sector investment, and public-private partnerships are all essential to driving the research and development needed to make nuclear fusion a reality.
International cooperation also plays an important role in pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and accelerating progress. Projects like ITER, which involves the collaboration of 35 different countries, highlight the benefits of global cooperation. Scientific partnerships like this not only enhance scientific and technological advancements but also ensure that the benefits of fusion energy are shared worldwide.
In addition to financial and collaborative efforts, continuous innovation in materials science, physics, and engineering is essential. The development of advanced materials that can withstand extreme conditions, improved plasma confinement techniques, and efficient energy conversion systems are all areas that require ongoing research and development if nuclear fusion is to become a viable energy source.
👉 While nuclear fusion faces significant challenges, the potential rewards make it worth pursuing. Fusion energy promises a clean, nearly limitless source of power that could revolutionise the global energy landscape.
Nuclear fusion holds incredible potential in the fight against climate change by offering a viable energy alternative to fossil fuels. As a clean energy source, fusion produces no carbon emissions during operation, which is critical for reducing the greenhouse gases that drive global warming. Unlike coal, oil, and natural gas, which emit large quantities of greenhouse gases, fusion reactions produce only helium as a by-product. Transitioning to fusion energy would therefore drastically reduce the carbon footprint of energy production, aiding efforts to meet international climate targets and reduce global warming.
The ability of nuclear fusion to provide a virtually limitless supply of energy would allow us to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The deuterium and tritium used in fusion reactions are abundant and can easily be sourced from seawater, making fusion a sustainable energy solution. This abundance ensures a stable and long-term energy supply, unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and subject to geopolitical tensions and market fluctuations.
Nuclear fusion also has the potential to complement renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. While renewables are essential for a sustainable energy future, they are often intermittent and dependent on weather conditions. Fusion, on the other hand, can provide a stable and consistent energy output, ensuring a reliable base load of power. This combination can create a more resilient and robust energy grid, capable of meeting global energy demands sustainably.
The achievement of commercial-scale nuclear fusion and its integration into the energy mix would mark a significant milestone in the global effort to mitigate climate change. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and complementing renewable energy sources, fusion can play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable and clean energy future.
At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. Why not request a free demo with one of our experts - no obligation or commitment required.
If reading this article has inspired you to consider your company’s own carbon footprint, Greenly can help. Learn more about Greenly’s carbon management platform here.
What are socially responsible investments, and why have they grown in popularity during the global cause for concern regarding climate change? Can socially responsible investments encourage companies to go green?
The Supreme Court has been exceptionally decisive in the United States as of late. Why did the supreme court in the U.S. block the EPA?
A complete guide to sustainable finance and how to manage your finances to be more sustainable.
The iPhone 14 will be released on September 16. But do you know the exact carbon footprint of an iPhone?
