Harnessing the energy of the stars is becoming a reality as scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in Livermore, California, work on creating miniature stars on Earth. This groundbreaking research is led by Tammy Ma, who heads the Fusion Energy Initiative at NIF, part of a government lab responsible for maintaining the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear arsenal.
The fusion experiments conducted at NIF generate temperatures hotter than the Sun's core. This is achieved using the world's largest laser, which is 1,000 times more powerful than the entire U.S. electrical grid. The laser beams, numbering 192, travel nearly a mile to focus on a tiny fuel pellet, smaller than a peppercorn. When these beams strike the pellet, the atoms inside fuse, releasing energy.
Fusion, unlike fission used in current nuclear power plants, merges atoms and produces more energy without generating hazardous nuclear waste. This process promises a nearly limitless supply of clean energy, potentially transforming energy-intensive technologies like vertical farming and water desalination, and addressing global food and water challenges. Tammy Ma emphasizes the clean nature of fusion, highlighting its lack of carbon emissions and high-level nuclear waste, and its potential to meet the U.S.'s growing energy demands.
Despite the challenges, NIF scientists achieved a significant breakthrough in 2022 by generating a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it consumed. This milestone, known as "ignition," marked a pivotal moment in the journey toward a commercial fusion power plant.
Bob Mumgaard, CEO and co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems near Boston, leads one of the many startups investing in fusion technology. Commonwealth uses super-heated plasma contained by powerful magnets, which are among the strongest in the world. The company plans to complete its demonstration reactor next year and aims to build its first full-scale power plant in Virginia, although it won't supply energy to the grid until the next decade.
While skeptics have long viewed fusion as an unattainable goal, always decades away, companies like Commonwealth believe the current technological advancements and urgent need for clean energy make this the right time to pursue fusion power. Mumgaard is optimistic, stating that they are actively assembling the necessary components to make fusion energy a reality when the world needs it most.