Researchers from the EUROfusion consortium, which includes Técnico researchers, have achieved a record performance for sustained fusion energy at the Joint European Torus (JET), the world’s largest fusion reactor of its kind so far, operating in the UK.
During the experiment, which lasted just five seconds, JET averaged a fusion power – or energy per second – of around 11 MW (Megajoules per second). This achievement on JET more than doubles the previous fusion energy record of 21.7 megajoules set there in 1997.
The experiment, whose result was announced in a statement this Wednesday, February 9, took place at the end of 2021, and comes as part of a dedicated experimental campaign designed by the EUROfusion consortium , of which the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN) is a member.
The result is particularly encouraging given the potential of this type of energy. As the statement says: “Fusion, the process that powers stars like our sun, promises an inherently safe, near-limitless clean electricity source for the long term, using small amounts of fuel that can be sourced worldwide from inexpensive materials”. Fusion “releases nearly four million times more energy than burning coal, oil or gas”, using “fuel that is abundant and sustainable”.
“It’s clear we must make significant changes to address the effects of climate change, and fusion offers so much potential. We’re building the knowledge and developing the new technology required to deliver a low-carbon, sustainable source of baseload energy that helps protect the planet for future generations”, scientists said in the statement.
According to Tony Donné, EUROfusion Programme Manager (CEO) “we are on the right path to a future world of fusion energy. If we can maintain fusion for five seconds, we can do it for five minutes and then five hours as we scale up our operations in future machines”.
Preparing for ITER operation
The amount of data obtained is also a major boost for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor. Under construction in the south of France, ITER is supported by seven members – China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA – and aims to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. ITER will produce 500 megawatts for periods of 400 to 600 seconds, and should start operating in late 2026 or early 2027.
Bruno Gonçalves, professor at the IST Department of Physics (DF) and president of IPFN, highlights “this result is a significant step in preparing for the ITER operation and in using nuclear fusion to produce electricity in a clean and safe way”. “The Portuguese researchers are very proud to be part of the EUROfusion consortium and to actively contribute to the construction of ITER”.
