Jonah Patel
Nuclear fusion is a process in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier one, releasing a massive amount of energy. If this process can be replicated on Earth, it could provide an unlimited source of clean, safe, and affordable energy. The quest to recreate and harness nuclear fusion has been ongoing since the 1930s, and countries around the world are now engaged in a race to develop fusion energy. Achieving success in this race would mean gaining access to a clean and essentially limitless source of power, with the potential to meet rising electricity demands, enable new industries, and improve energy security. While there have been significant advancements and breakthroughs in fusion research, challenges remain in making fusion a viable power source. The success of the race to achieve fusion will have profound implications for the future of energy generation and the mitigation of the climate crisis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Source of energy | Nuclear fusion |
| Type of reaction | Nuclear fusion, different from nuclear fission |
| Energy output | More than 100% of the energy put into a fusion experiment comes out as nuclear energy |
| Fuel | Deuterium and tritium for DT fusion |
| Power-producing system | Lawson criterion |
| Temperature | 10 million degrees Celsius |
| Country | Germany, Japan, China, United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, India, Russia, France |
| Organisations | ITER, DEMos, DOE, NASA, CFS, NIF, LLNL, IAEA, FEC, UKAEA, First Light Fusion, TAE Technologies, General Fusion, Tokamak Energy, National Ignition Facility, Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics, MIT, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory |
| Amount invested | $46 million, $10 billion, £410 million ($530 million), $2 billion, $2.5 billion, £1.1 million |
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What You'll Learn
- Global heating has increased the urgency for carbon-free fusion energy
- Fusion energy can provide limitless, clean, safe, and affordable energy
- The world's first controlled release of fusion power was achieved in 1991
- Countries are investing in fusion research and development
- Fusion power plants face engineering challenges
Global heating has increased the urgency for carbon-free fusion energy
Global heating has increased the urgency of developing carbon-free fusion energy. Fusion energy has long been considered the ultimate source of abundant, clean electricity. As the world faces the need to reduce carbon emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change, achieving commercial fusion power has become even more critical.
Fusion energy has the potential to play a significant role in mitigating climate change and meeting the world's energy demands. Nuclear fusion, the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy, could provide virtually limitless, safe, and affordable energy. This clean energy source does not produce CO2 or other harmful atmospheric emissions, making it environmentally friendly and crucial in the fight against global warming.
The development of fusion energy is attracting increased attention and investment from governments and organizations worldwide. Countries such as Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States are actively supporting the commercial fusion industry and investing in research and development. These efforts are driven by the understanding that fusion power plants can help meet rising electricity demands, enable new industries, and enhance energy security.
While the technological demands of harnessing fusion energy are challenging, the potential economic and environmental benefits are significant. Analyses have shown that fusion power plants (FPPs) can provide "firm" electricity, complementing variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind. FPPs can be particularly valuable in regions with poor diversity, capacity, and quality of renewable resources, ensuring a more reliable source of clean electricity.
The early deployment of fusion energy is expected in wealthy nations with aggressive decarbonization policies, such as European countries and the United States. However, regions with rapidly growing electricity demands, such as India and Africa, are also expected to adopt fusion energy in the latter half of the century, contributing to their low-carbon energy mix.
The global race to lead in fusion energy development has begun, and the successful implementation of fusion power plants will be a significant milestone in addressing the urgent need for carbon-free energy sources and mitigating the impacts of global heating.
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Fusion energy can provide limitless, clean, safe, and affordable energy
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one, releasing massive amounts of energy. This is the same process that powers the sun and other stars. If nuclear fusion can be replicated on Earth, it could provide virtually limitless, clean, safe, and affordable energy to meet the world's energy demands.
The potential benefits of fusion energy have sparked a global race to develop fusion power plants. Countries such as Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States have invested significantly in fusion research and development. For example, the UK allocated £410 million ($530 million) for fusion energy work at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). In the US, the Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences spending from 2020 to 2023 included $46 million for the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, which funds companies as they achieve specific milestones in fusion development.
Progress towards fusion energy has been made through international collaboration and the work of private companies. For instance, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the US achieved a breakthrough in 2022 by producing more energy from a controlled nuclear fusion reaction than was used to trigger it. This was followed by further successful experiments in 2023 and 2024, bringing the prospect of fusion energy a step closer. In addition, private companies such as Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) in Massachusetts, General Fusion in Canada, and Tokamak Energy in the UK have made significant progress.
However, there are still challenges to be overcome before fusion can become a viable source of energy. One challenge is scaling up the energy output to make fusion power plants economically viable. A commercial reactor will need to produce at least 30 times more energy than is put in, and this requires solving tricky engineering problems such as extracting heat energy and finding materials that can withstand the extreme conditions in the reactor chamber. Another challenge is maintaining the stability of the plasma used in fusion reactions, which tends to develop large temperature gradients that make it turbulent and difficult to control.
Despite these challenges, fusion energy holds the promise of limitless, clean, safe, and affordable energy. With continued global collaboration, investment, and innovation, the dream of harnessing the power of the stars to meet our energy needs may one day become a reality.
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The world's first controlled release of fusion power was achieved in 1991
Nuclear fusion, the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one, has been understood since the 1930s. However, it wasn't until November 1991 that the world's first controlled release of fusion power was achieved by JET, the Joint European Torus tokamak, in the UK. This experiment produced up to 16 MW of fusion power for one second and 5 MW sustained from 24 MW of input power. While this was a breakthrough, it required a high input of electricity. Since then, progress has been made in operating remote handling techniques in radioactive environments and modifying the interior of the device.
The quest to recreate and harness nuclear fusion has been a collaborative effort involving scientists and engineers from all over the world. The IAEA has been at the forefront of international fusion research, launching the Nuclear Fusion journal in 1960 and hosting conferences every two years since 1974 to foster discussions on developments and achievements in the field. In 2007, ITER, the world's largest international fusion facility, was established in France with the goal of demonstrating the feasibility of fusion energy production.
Despite the challenges, the race to lead the world in fusion energy has begun, with governments recognizing the potential of this clean and limitless source of power. Countries like Germany and Japan have developed national strategies and plans to support the fusion industry. In the United States, the DOE's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program provides funding for companies as they achieve specific milestones, with a total of $46 million allocated for eight companies, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). CFS has secured over $2 billion in funding and hired more than 1,000 employees, making it one of the most mature efforts in the country.
While significant progress has been made, as of 2025, no device has reached net power. Fusion reactions require fuel in a state of plasma, along with specific conditions of temperature, pressure, and confinement time, to produce power. The combination of these parameters is known as the Lawson criterion. The challenge of achieving and maintaining these conditions has led to ongoing research and development in the field of nuclear fusion.
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Countries are investing in fusion research and development
Nuclear fusion has the potential to provide an unlimited, clean, and affordable energy source, which could be a solution to the world's energy demands and the climate emergency. Scientists have been trying to harness this process since the 1930s, but it has proven to be complex and costly. However, countries are increasingly investing in fusion research and development to accelerate progress and gain a competitive edge in the race to achieve fusion.
Germany
Germany's new government leadership has expressed its ambition to have the first fusion power plant in the country. They are fostering an ecosystem of scientists, start-ups, and other businesses to support this goal.
Japan
Japan has developed a national strategy for fusion and included it as a government-wide R&D target in its Moonshot program. The country has also successfully collaborated with the European Union on the largest and most advanced tokamak reactor, JT-60SA, inaugurated in Naka, Japan, in December 2023.
United Kingdom
The UK has demonstrated its commitment to fusion energy by allocating £410 million (approximately $530 million) for fusion energy work at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). This investment reflects the growing global support for fusion and positions the UK as a significant player in this field.
United States
The US has been actively pursuing fusion research, with notable efforts at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). The Department of Energy's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, modeled on NASA's private space industry fostering, funds companies as they achieve specific milestones. While the US has made progress, there is recognition that more needs to be done to keep up with other countries' investments.
China
China has been investing heavily in fusion research and rapidly growing its workforce. The country's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) test reactor, completed in 2006, was the first to use superconducting magnets to generate both toroidal and poloidal fields. In February 2025, the EAST fusion reactor maintained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1066 seconds, a significant milestone.
These countries are leading the way in fusion research and development, recognizing the potential benefits of this technology for their energy security, economies, and global leadership. With increasing investment and collaboration, the race to achieve fusion is intensifying, bringing the goal of a limitless clean energy source closer to reality.
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Fusion power plants face engineering challenges
Fusion power plants face several engineering challenges. Firstly, fusion reactions require fuel in a state of plasma, which is a hot, charged gas made of positive ions and free-moving electrons. Achieving and maintaining the necessary conditions for fusion, including extremely high temperatures exceeding ten million degrees Celsius, is a significant challenge. Improved confinement properties and stability of the plasma are needed to prevent it from coming into contact with and damaging the reactor walls. This requires exquisite control as the plasma tends to develop large temperature gradients, generating strong convection currents that make it turbulent and hard to manage.
Another challenge is scaling up the energy gain to make fusion a viable power source. A functioning fusion power plant would need to produce significantly more energy than is put in, which requires overcoming the difficulties of achieving breakeven in terms of net plasma power and net electricity production. Additionally, commercial reactors will need to solve engineering problems such as extracting the heat energy and finding materials that can withstand the intense conditions within the reactor chamber over its lifetime.
Progress in fusion research has been slow, and while there have been recent breakthroughs, practical exploitation of fusion as an energy source remains elusive. The development of fusion power plants faces obstacles such as limited resources, technical complexities, and the need for global collaboration to mobilize resources. Despite these challenges, there is a growing sense of urgency to develop fusion energy to address the world's increasing demand for clean and limitless energy and mitigate the climate crisis caused by burning fossil fuels.
Countries such as Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China are actively investing in fusion energy research and development. These efforts include the construction of experimental fusion reactors, such as ITER in France, and the development of regulatory frameworks to support the growth of the fusion industry. While there is competition among nations to lead in fusion power generation, there is also recognition of the benefits of collaboration and information sharing to accelerate progress.
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Frequently asked questions
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one, releasing massive amounts of energy. This is the process that powers the sun and other stars.
Fusion could provide an unlimited, clean, safe, and affordable energy source to meet the world's rising energy demands and address the climate crisis.
Achieving fusion requires creating and maintaining extremely high temperatures, pressures, and confinement times. Additionally, the furiously hot plasma used in fusion reactions tends to be turbulent and difficult to manage, often resulting in damage to the reaction chamber.
Several countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and China, are actively pursuing fusion energy development. Notable achievements include the National Ignition Facility's (NIF) net energy gain in 2013 and the recent breakthrough in extracting more energy from a controlled fusion reaction than was used to trigger it. The first international fusion facility, ITER, was established in 2007 to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy production.
The successful development of fusion energy could have significant geopolitical implications, with countries that actively support and harness fusion gaining economic and energy security advantages. However, the race to achieve fusion also fosters collaboration and information sharing among nations, as evident in the ITER project.
