Part 1 of 2 Parts
The world is focusing on finding cleaner energy sources. Efforts to develop nuclear fusion are ramping up in the hopes of accelerating the mass adoption of fusion energy. Fusion research is attempting to duplicate the process that powers our Sun. It generates electricity from the heat of nuclear fusion reactions. Many research organizations around the world are working to advance fusion science and create a practical fusion energy source. The commercialization of fusion energy is not yet a reality. Many serious challenges must be overcome.
The potential benefits of nuclear fusion energy are huge in the global energy transition. It holds the promise of being an on-demand, safe and abundant source of carbon-free energy and electricity. The promise of these benefits have prompted a large international effort to accelerate fusion research and development.
The U.S. is a major player in this research. Efforts were significantly accelerated following the implementation of the United States Energy Act of 2020. This legislation laid out multiple provisions to drive forward the movement towards a clean energy future. In March of 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) co-hosted a White House Summit entitled Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy. The aim of the Bold Decadal Vision is to establish a strong partnership between the DoE and the fusion private sector. This collaboration will be dedicated to furthering fusion science and developing a U.S. led commercial fusion industry. The Vision will also address a variety of regulatory and security issues associated with commercializing fusion.
The first step towards realizing the Vision came in September of 2022. The DoE announced up to fifty million dollars in funding to launch a new milestone-based fusion development program, as authorized in the Energy Act. The program will support for-profit entities who may team up with national laboratories, universities and other organizations. The purpose of this program is to meet major technical and commercialization milestones toward the successful design of a fusion pilot plant (FPP) that will help bring fusion towards technical and commercial viability.
Dr. Scott Hsu is the Lead Fusion Coordinator for the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation at the DoE. He is responsible for coordinating fusion energy activities across the multiple DoE program offices. Dr. Hsu recently gave an interview about the fusion activities and how these fit with the overall strategy of the U.S. to transform the energy sector with fusion.
Dr. Hsu was asked about the major challenges faced by the U.S. in the commercialization of fusion energy and how these challenges may be met. He said that there are both technical and non-technical challenges.
Technical challenges are well known and include:
• Achieving and sustaining adequate energy gain in a fusion plasma
• Developing strong materials and concepts to handle the extreme heat and particle flux of a fusion plasma
• Closing the fuel cycle including tritium breeding and processing if needed
Non-technical challenges include:
• Mobilizing adequate public and private funding
• Establishing regulatory, export controls, and nonproliferation frameworks that stimulate public trust and enable timely licensing
• Building a diverse and robust workforce
• Ensuring worldwide robust supply chains and manufacturing capabilities
• Supporting public engagement and acceptance
• Providing for energy justice.
He added that DoE is pursuing a department-wide approach to address all these needs in collaboration with the private sector, non-profits, other government agencies and international partners.
Please read Part 2 next