For decades, nuclear fusion has been hailed as the holy grail of clean energy—a virtually limitless power source that could revolutionize how we fuel our world. Yet, the path to achieving stable fusion has been fraught with challenges, requiring temperatures hotter than the sun and precision control of unruly plasma.
Now, a team led by Dr. Anne-Isabelle Etienvre of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in southern France has shattered records by maintaining plasma for an unprecedented 22 minutes, marking a significant leap toward making fusion energy a reality.
The Science of Fusion: Why Plasma Stability Matters
Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun, involves fusing light atomic nuclei to release immense amounts of energy. For this reaction to occur on Earth, particles must be heated to temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius (over 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit). At these extreme temperatures, atoms collide at incredible speeds, forming a plasma—a superheated, electrically charged gas.
However, maintaining plasma stability is no small feat. Any imbalance in magnetic fields or external factors can cause the plasma to cool or escape its magnetic confinement, disrupting the reaction. Tokamaks, like the one used in this experiment, rely on precise electromagnetic control to keep plasma hot and stable. The recent 22-minute record demonstrates significant progress in overcoming these challenges.
Dr. Etienvre succinctly captured the significance of this achievement: “Experiments will continue with increased power,” she said, hinting at the next steps in pushing the boundaries of fusion research.
The team’s work took place at the CEA’s tokamak facility in Cadarache, southern France, a hub for cutting-edge fusion research. This record surpasses a previous milestone set by a Chinese team, highlighting the competitive yet collaborative nature of global fusion efforts.
A Global Effort: The Role of International Collaboration
The record-breaking experiment in France is part of a broader, international effort to harness fusion energy. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), currently under construction in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, southern France, represents the pinnacle of this collaboration.
ITER brings together 35 countries, including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States, in a shared mission to build the world’s largest tokamak.
While ITER’s completion has faced delays, smaller-scale experiments like the one in France are crucial for refining the technology. Each milestone, such as the 22-minute plasma record, provides valuable insights that can be integrated into ITER’s design.
ITER’s tokamak will stand 30 meters tall and weigh 23,000 tons, making it the largest of its kind. Its primary goal is to achieve a tenfold energy gain, producing 500 megawatts of power from 50 megawatts of input. First plasma is expected in the late 2020s, with full-scale operations anticipated by the 2030s.
Fusion vs. Fission: A Cleaner Path to Energy
Unlike nuclear fission, which splits atoms and produces long-lived radioactive waste, fusion combines hydrogen nuclei to form helium, generating minimal radioactive byproducts. This makes fusion a far cleaner and safer alternative. Additionally, fusion relies on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, offering a nearly inexhaustible energy source.
Despite its promise, fusion has faced significant obstacles, including high costs and technical complexities. However, recent advancements, such as the 22-minute plasma record and Europe’s Joint European Torus (JET) achieving 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy in 2022, suggest that the field is gaining momentum.
The environmental benefits of fusion are particularly compelling. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), transitioning to low-carbon energy sources is critical to achieving net-zero emissions. Fusion’s ability to generate power without producing greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste positions it as a key player in the global energy transition.
The Road Ahead: Scaling Up for Commercial Viability
While the 22-minute plasma record is a remarkable achievement, the journey to commercial fusion power is far from over. Researchers must now focus on scaling up the technology to achieve net energy gain—where a reactor produces more energy than it consumes. This requires extending plasma stability from minutes to hours and increasing energy output to commercially viable levels.
Next steps in fusion research include extending plasma duration to several hours, improving energy output to achieve net energy gain, and reducing contamination within the reaction chamber. Even minor impurities can disrupt the delicate environment needed for fusion to thrive.
The CEA team in Cadarache is already planning further experiments to push the boundaries of plasma stability. By increasing power and refining control mechanisms, they aim to demonstrate that fusion can be sustained for longer periods and at higher temperatures. These efforts are critical for proving that fusion can meet the energy demands of the real world.
“Every great journey begins with a single step.”
Whoever wrote that immortal saying did n o t have an asymptotic end-slope in mind. 50 million degrees?
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French one only 50 million not 100 million the Chinese achieved earlier
I have been waiting fir the research on ITER international tokamak experimental plasmareactor ,since1978. USA joined the team and withdrew as it is super expensive still researches are sure about enough raw materials availability.Detritium,Tritium,helium.we are playing with nuclear isotopes.Long way to go.wgat are benefits of plasma? Is it for defence bombs.Electricity production is longway to research and expensive!!!
Like it or not, the investment in fusion is the more intelligent way out of an energy crisis of epic proportions. If not all of mankind does understand it or do not care, the privileged amount of people who are giving their all to achieve the independence day of the fossil fuels are my heroes. At least I believe it is better to do something expensive for the planet we are living on than to plan to leave it for another world to destroy.
On the other hand, the control over the fusion will decide as well political consequences. E.g. when blocks are no longer able to use their geopolitical power for gaining control over political power. When the location of oilfields no longer dictate who is in reign…
Or… if it is gouverned completely out of order in order to exclude others of sharing and push them into complete dependency.
I am more concerned about the cost of the infrastructure for worldwide distribution of energy in form of electricity. Experiments in Germany have shown that in general the renewable energy is able to replace fossil fuel generated energy. But they found out as well that we are 30 years behind with the infrastructure for it, if it was possible today. There are simply summarised not enough networks able to handle the distribution. If this is the case in Germany, how many more years do we need to getting the energy “on the road”?
Maybe I am totally wrong but if we are asking the industry, they want to line their pockets first and their investors pockets second.
All that is confusing me about fusion.
But if no one starts to think as in all times before, we would be stuck with stone tools forever. Therefore this just another evolution and we have to hope that it doesn’t wipe us out before we can enjoy the benefits. Maybe science is ready for this but mankind isn’t….