Wishing on The Power of a Man-Made Star: Nuclear Fusion Startups Provide Hope
Startups fuel nuclear fusion possibilities as the demand for cleaner methods of energy production grows.
Photo Source: IFL Science via sakkmesterke/Shutterstock.com
Total global energy usage has been steadily increasing for decades, and with projections following this upward trend, newer and cleaner methods of energy production are required to meet demands.
While energy methods like wind, solar and hydropower have collectively made strides toward covering this new clean energy demand, there is a single method that has the hypothetical energy-generating potential to blow all of our current energy sources out of the water (sorry hydropower).
Nuclear fusion is a powerful reaction in which two light nuclei combine, forming a single heavier nucleus and creating mass amounts of excess energy as a byproduct. This reaction is what powers the stars and our sun, meaning it creates a ton of energy and is a great candidate for an energy source.
According to the Department of Energy, “The fusion energy released from just 1 gram of deuterium-tritium fuel equals the energy from about 2400 gallons of oil.” This means that fusion energy could power entire cities, and do so in a much more environmentally friendly manner since fusion does not emit CO2 or other greenhouse gases.
Additionally, whereas current fission-reliant nuclear power plants produce long-living nuclear waste that has the potential to erode containment efforts and leak radioactive material, according to ITER, fusion reactor components should be recyclable or reusable within 100 years.
Deuterium-Tritium fuel, which the Department of Energy says is needed to power a fusion reaction, is not too hard to find. Deuterium, one of the two necessary hydrogen isotopes, is able to be derived from seawater, meaning there is a near-limitless supply of that fuel component.
So, if this option is more energy dense, has an easily sourced fuel supply and is more environmentally friendly, why aren’t we utilizing it everywhere?
The answer is unfortunately simple - fusion is not currently possible.
Attempts to create a fusion reaction have been unsuccessful since the 1950s. Fusion can only occur under extremely specific and hard-to-replicate conditions. Since it is very difficult to create temperatures hotter than the sun’s core in a lab, even the most prestigious fusion research programs, like the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), have made little progress toward success.
While some scientists view fusion as more of an unrealistic dream than a viable option, recent changes in the field have given hope that all is not lost for fusion progress.
In December 2022, for the first time ever, a nuclear fusion reaction was able to successfully be ignited for 20 billionths of a second by the National Ignition Facility (NIF). According to CNN, the experiment produced an energy output byproduct of around 50 percent. Although the amount of time and energy produced may seem minuscule, this first step toward success has been the most significant win for fusion energy yet.
Another important change to fusion research has been the recent emergence of fusion startups.
Historically, fusion efforts have been taken on by government-funded entities like ITER and NIF. But with the launch of new, privately-funded startups, have come new approaches to tackle fusion and ambitious timelines previously unheard of.
A relatively new company called Helion claims it will have the world’s first fusion energy plant built and operational by 2028. This timeline is startlingly short in comparison to organizations like ITER and NIF, which have been claiming that change is “coming soon” for decades without showing significant movement toward that unspecified date.
Although this shortened timeline naturally provokes skepticism, these startups have caught the attention and earned the confidence of large investors.
With well-known investors like Microsoft and the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, Helion has recently come into the spotlight as one of the most ambitious fusion projects. And Helion isn’t the only startup changing the fusion game. According to Not Boring by Packy McCormick, other startups like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, TAE Technologies, General Fusion and Zap Energy are racing each other toward a finish line that previously seemed infinitely far away.
While confidence in the success of these fusion energy projects occurring in the next decade is mixed, it seems like these growing startups are the first step toward a somewhat realistic finish line to a decades-long energy race.
Best,
Stephanie for the Don’t Count Us Out Yet Team