In fusion reactors there is a lot of talk about the temperatures they reach and the time it manages to work, but all this corresponds more to propaganda publications. The real problem is achieving net energy production and at this point they are not much further ahead than the fusion reactor built by a boy in a garage a few years ago. Achieving nuclear fusion is not that complicated, it is complicated to do it by extracting more energy than invested and this is still a minimum of 10 years away.
The main parameter that determines if a fusion reactor generates net power is called its triple product, equal to the product of the plasma density, temperature, and confinement time. So setting records of time spent at operating temperatures is making important progress towards net power production.
Particularly nuclear fusion, which doesn’t generate long-lived radioactive isotopes as byproducts of energy production. Nuclear fission still has a place to be sure, but once we crack the dilemmas with fusion all bets are off when it comes to generating huge amounts of clean energy.
Fission gets a bad rap. The amount of waste it produces is minuscule compared to the amount of waste generated by fossil fuels, and it’s generally easier to deal with too. Just needs actual proper maintenance and care.
The coal plants are decommissioning due to costs, renewable energy is booming, and (obviously due to the ban) there is no local nuclear industry or expertise. Even if you manage to lift the ban, which nobody is trying to do*, nuclear would not be replacing coal plants here, but might divert renewable funding. In other countries I have no doubt building more nuclear could offset coal, not here.
The coalition claims to be in favour of nuclear power, but they’ve spruiked it before in opposition, and nothing gets tabled when they’re in power. It’s got as much chance of happening as high speed rail.
In 2021, Australia’s electricity production reached 265 TWh, with coal accounting for 52.9% and natural gas for 18.8%. Renewable sources, comprising solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy with waste, collectively made up 26.7% of the total electricity generation mix
If you want to get excited though, check the rapid rise of renewables.
It doesn’t emit ghgs during operation or much during construction if that’s what you mean. Might be less than solar and wind, but we’ll need to see what it actually entails when we completely figure out the technology.
Testing and stuff probably does by a tiny fraction, because they need to use insane amounts of power to get it started which is probably produced by coal/oil.
But once it’s actually working and producing more power than it consumes it will be the best solution to stopping greenhouse gases for energy production. It would be the end of gas/oil/coal in the energy sector. Probably wouldn’t even need to use solar or wind anymore.
KSTAR, KFE’s fusion research device which it refers to as an “artificial sun,” managed to sustain plasma with temperatures of 100 million degrees for 48 seconds during tests between December 2023 and February 2024, beating the previous record of 30 seconds set in 2021.
I’m honestly more impressed about that last line, running at 70 million for 17.5 minutes. Duration/stability being the key to this tech, that’s pretty impressive.
That is the point, not to reach 100 millon dimming meanwhile the lights in the rest of the country. Stability continued, not only for few minutes and positive energy production is the goal, not archived yet, nor in the next decade.
Add comment