{"id":102974,"date":"2022-10-12T05:42:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T05:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alj.com\/?post_type=perspective&#038;p=102974"},"modified":"2022-10-12T06:24:36","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T06:24:36","slug":"fusing-the-future-of-energy","status":"publish","type":"perspective","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/fusing-the-future-of-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fusing the future of energy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6>Photo credit: \u00a9 NASA\/CXC\/INAF\/Argiroffi, C. et al.\/S. Wiessinger<\/h6>\n<p>Nuclear fusion was once seen as fantasy physics among many science commentators: <em>\u201cIt\u2019s thirty years away and always will be,\u201d<\/em><a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> used to be the familiar phrase.\u00a0 Yet there are strong signs that fusion energy, far from being a fantasy, may soon become a reality.\u00a0 And, in doing so, help to completely transform the world\u2019s reliance on fossil fuels.<\/p>\n<p>These days, media headlines such as \u201cNuclear fusion market could achieve a US$ 40 trillion valuation\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a> from Bloomberg Intelligence and \u201cNuclear fusion enters a new age\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a> in Forbes reflect a growing excitement that this power source might finally become viable for everyday use.\u00a0 So, what\u2019s really changed to turn conventional opinion on its head? \u00a0And, more importantly for the climate and energy crisis, just how soon could fusion energy become an accepted part of the global energy mix?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WdoI1X5m96s\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Courtesy of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href=\"https:\/\/mit.edu\/\">MIT<\/a>) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psfc.mit.edu\/\">MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Unfulfilled potential?<\/h2>\n<p>The advantages of fusion are significant \u2013 unfortunately so are the technological barriers.\u00a0 Progress over the past half century has been both slow and yet, encouraging.<\/p>\n<p>In February 2022, researchers at the Joint European Torus (<a href=\"https:\/\/ccfe.ukaea.uk\/research\/joint-european-torus\/\">JET<\/a>) facility operated by <a href=\"https:\/\/ccfe.ukaea.uk\">Culham Centre for Fusion Energy<\/a> in Oxfordshire, UK, announced a new record for nuclear fusion after they successfully produced 59 megajoules of energy \u2013 enough to run a 60-watt light bulb for 11 days. \u00a0Hardly game-changing in terms of the amount of energy produced, this was nevertheless hailed as a sign that fusion, a process promising limitless, clean energy, was inching towards becoming a reality. \u00a0The previous record, also set by JET, was set 25 years earlier when it released 22 megajoules in 1997. \u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_103010\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103010\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103010\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/An-Amazing-Look-Inside-a-Fusion-Reactor-Doubling-the-Power-Record-1-800x420-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/An-Amazing-Look-Inside-a-Fusion-Reactor-Doubling-the-Power-Record-1-800x420-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/An-Amazing-Look-Inside-a-Fusion-Reactor-Doubling-the-Power-Record-1-800x420-1-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/An-Amazing-Look-Inside-a-Fusion-Reactor-Doubling-the-Power-Record-1-800x420-1-150x79.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/An-Amazing-Look-Inside-a-Fusion-Reactor-Doubling-the-Power-Record-1-800x420-1-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103010\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Still images at the moment of fusion energy from inside the tokamak machine at the Joint European Torus (JET) UK Atomic Energy Authority\u2019s Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, in Oxfordshire, UK, which houses the JET project. \u00a0Image credit \u00a9 UKAEA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iter.org\/\">ITER<\/a>) being built in southeast France, has been under construction for 11 years and is tens of billions of dollars over its initial US$6 billion budget. \u00a0Its current US$22 billion build cost is being met by the governments of two-thirds of the world\u2019s population, including the EU, the US, China and Russia<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102982\" style=\"width: 836px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-102982\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ITER-France-EuroFusion.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"836\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ITER-France-EuroFusion.jpg 657w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ITER-France-EuroFusion-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ITER-France-EuroFusion-150x92.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 836px) 100vw, 836px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ITER site in France. Thousands of engineers and scientists have contributed to the design of ITER since the idea for an international joint experiment in fusion was first launched in 1985. The ITER Members \u2013 China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States \u2013 are now engaged in a 35-year collaboration to build and operate the ITER experimental device, and together bring fusion to the point where a demonstration fusion reactor can be designed. Photo Credit:\u00a0 \u00a9 Courtesy ITER\/EUROFusion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, there are several other alternatives to fossil-fuel energy, including concentrated solar, solar photovoltaic power, on\/off-shore wind farms, biomass and geothermal, to name a few, that are already making a major contribution to the energy transition necessary to achieve net zero. \u00a0But the potential benefits of nuclear fusion are still attracting investment from the likes of Jeff Bezos<a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\">[5]<\/a>, Bill Gates<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\">[6]<\/a> and, indeed the Jameel Family\u2019s investment arm, <a href=\"https:\/\/jimco.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-announces-major-participation-in-us-1-8-billion-series-b-funding-round-for-commonwealth-fusion-systems\/\">JIMCO<\/a>, part of <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/the-future-is-fusion\/\">Abdul Latif Jameel<\/a>\u2019s longstanding commitment to sustainable forms of energy, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/wind-energizes-renewables-market-in-record-year\/\">wind energy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/setting-a-shining-example\/\">solar power<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of fusion energy<\/h2>\n<p>Carbon emissions, including greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide and methane, are a known key driver of planetary climate change. \u00a0The more GHGs there are in the atmosphere, the warmer the climate becomes.\u00a0 And despite our best efforts, the situation is getting worse.\u00a0 In 2021, the global average carbon dioxide set a new record high of 414.72 parts per million<a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\">[7]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-102975\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-150x106.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1768-ALJ-Nuclear-Fusion-2048x1448.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The beauty of nuclear <em>fusion<\/em> is that there are no carbon emissions. \u00a0And, unlike the more familiar energy from nuclear <em>fission<\/em>, fusion reactors produce no high activity, long-lived nuclear waste. \u00a0The only radioactive activation is of the actual components of the fusion reactor itself and this is low enough for the materials to be recycled or reused is less than 100 years<a href=\"#_ftn8\" name=\"_ftnref8\">[8]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the fuels of nuclear fission \u2013 so-called \u2018fissile materials\u2019 &#8211; for example uranium or plutonium, the raw materials used in nuclear fusion are plentiful, harmless (neither a fissile, fissionable, not enriched in anyway), meaning there is no risk of weaponization, and they are significantly easier to obtain. \u00a0Deuterium can be extracted from water and tritium will be produced inside the power station from lithium, an element that is abundant in the earth\u2019s crust and seawater. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The process is also very productive: one kilogram of fusion fuel could provide the same amount of energy as 10 million kilograms of fossil fuel. \u00a0A one-Gigawatt fusion power station would consume less than one ton of fuel during a year\u2019s operation. \u00a0A single gram of fuel can yield 90,000-kilowatt hours of energy. \u00a0Safety is also a major consideration. \u00a0The history of conventional nuclear fission power is littered with accidents and near misses.\u00a0 Authorities worry about the risk of key components falling into the wrong hands and being used to build nuclear weapons.\u00a0 Not so with fusion energy. \u00a0As noted above, the amounts of fuel used are miniscule \u2013 the weight of a postage stamp at any one time \u2013 and not \u2018fissible\u2019 or enriched \u2013 so there is no chance of a meltdown or runaway reaction.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI like to say to tell people that nuclear fission is easy to start and hard to stop. \u00a0Fusion energy is the opposite<\/em>,\u201d explains Christofer Mowry, former Chief Executive Officer of one of the major players in the sector, Canada\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/generalfusion.com\/\">General Fusion<\/a><a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\">[9]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hIqhyld0fGo\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Advocates of fusion power plants says they have the potential to produce an almost limitless supply of energy, at low cost and with minimal risk<a href=\"#_ftn10\" name=\"_ftnref10\">[10]<\/a> &#8211; benefits that are truly worth pursuing.<\/p>\n<h2>Fusion vs. Fission<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/piWcj-fbsf0\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Conventional nuclear power stations rely on fission, i.e., the splitting of heavy element atoms, usually uranium, into lighter ones. \u00a0The energy that\u2019s released is used to boil water to create steam, which then turns turbines that make electricity.<\/p>\n<p>Fusion is the opposite process.\u00a0 It generates heat by combining (or fusing) lighter atoms to make heavier ones.\u00a0 The reason fusion generates so much energy is that the new element weighs ever so slightly less than the sum of its parts. \u00a0That tiny bit of lost matter is converted into energy according to Albert Einstein\u2019s famous formula, E = mc<sup>2<\/sup>. \u00a0This is the same process that generates the power of the Sun and other stars.\u00a0 In Einstein\u2019s formula, \u201cE\u201d stands for energy and \u201cm\u201d for mass.\u00a0 The last part of the formula is \u201cc,\u201d a constant that measures the speed of light \u2014 300,000 kilometers per second.\u00a0 This is then squared \u2013 an enormous multiplier for matter that is converted into energy, making fusion an extraordinarily powerful reaction<a href=\"#_ftn11\" name=\"_ftnref11\">[11]<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, this is not a simple process.\u00a0 For fusion to work, atoms must collide.\u00a0 The problem (or one of them) is that their nuclei \u2013 the positively charged cores of atoms, inside a negatively charged electron cloud \u2013 normally repel each other. \u00a0To make overcome this repulsion force, the atoms need to be moving incredibly fast in a confined space.\u00a0 Our Sun, and other stars, can do this because their, literally, astronomical mass generates enormous gravitational forces that makes atoms hurtle towards their center.<\/p>\n<p>Here on Earth, we need a different approach.\u00a0 \u00a0This is what has been preoccupying our finest physicists and engineers for decades. \u00a0The fusion process has been demonstrated at small scale in laboratories, but such is the complexity of the process, it has yet to generate more energy than it consumes.<\/p>\n<p>The reaction requires the creation of a high-energy state of matter: plasma. \u00a0This is an ionized state of matter similar to a gas. \u00a0Composed of charged particles (positive nuclei and negative electrons), plasmas are very tenuous environments, nearly one million times less dense than the air we breathe<a href=\"#_ftn12\" name=\"_ftnref12\">[12]<\/a>. \u00a0Plasma requires very high temperatures \u2013 50 million degrees Celsius \u2013 and must be kept stable under intense pressure, and dense enough and confined for long enough to allow the nuclei to fuse.<\/p>\n<h2>Differing approaches to fusion<\/h2>\n<p>For fusion to be useful, plasma must be created in a controlled way so the resulting energy can be harvested. \u00a0There are currently two fundamental approaches, with some variations. \u00a0One, adopted by the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, is to confine the fusion fuel and compress it using lasers. \u00a0This is called inertial-confinement fusion (ICF).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_103003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103003\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-103003\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokamak-components-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokamak-components-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokamak-components-150x110.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Tokamak-components.jpg 387w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The essential tokamak components include the toroidal field coils (blue), the central solenoid (green), and poloidal field coils (grey). \u00a0The total magnetic field (in black) around the torus confines the path of travel of the charged plasma particles.<br \/>\nIllustration \u00a9 courtesy of EUROfusion \/ US Dept. of Energy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The other approach is generally referred to as \u00a0magnetic-confinement fusion (<a href=\"https:\/\/jimco.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-announces-major-participation-in-us-1-8-billion-series-b-funding-round-for-commonwealth-fusion-systems\/\">MCF<\/a>), and employs extremely powerful magnets that create a magnetic field &#8211; a \u2018bottle\u2019 &#8211; to insulate and contain the plasma. \u00a0At the heart of this is a doughnut-shaped type of MCF reactor called a tokamak. \u00a0This uses high-intensity magnetic fields to heat a hydrogen plasma to hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius, and then hold that plasma stable while its atoms combine. \u00a0The goal is to hold the plasma together long enough for a significant amount of fusion to occur. \u00a0The current record is just six minutes.<\/p>\n<p>A variation on these approaches is Magnetized Target Fusion (<a href=\"https:\/\/jimco.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-confirms-major-participation-in-us-130-million-series-e-funding-round-for-general-fusion\">MTF<\/a>), which combines features of both MCF and ICF, but requires less engineering and fewer resources.\u00a0 Like the magnetic approach, the fusion fuel is confined at lower density by strong magnetic fields while it is heated into a plasma. \u00a0The fusion reaction is initiated by rapidly squeezing the target to greatly increase fuel density and temperature as in the inertial approach. \u00a0The resulting density is lower than in \u2018pure\u2019 ICF, and some scientists believe this hybrid approach, offering extended confinement time and improved heat retention, will ultimately enable MTF and be easier to construct.<\/p>\n<p>The belief is that a fully-fledged commercial fusion reactor will be viable enough to compete with other forms of electricity.\u00a0 The target is a cost of US$ 50 per megawatt-hour, which is the same as coal.\u00a0 Although other forms of renewable energy might be cheaper, they are not as reliable or as flexible.<\/p>\n<h2>Investing in tomorrow\u2019s energy<\/h2>\n<p>As a committed investor in sustainable energy and the drive to net zero, Abdul Latif Jameel \u2013 through the Jameel Investment Management Company (<a href=\"https:\/\/jimco.com\/en\/\">JIMCO<\/a>) \u2013 has chosen to invest in two of the global pioneers in the rapidly developing fusion energy sector: <a href=\"https:\/\/cfs.energy\/\">Commonwealth Fusion Systems<\/a> (CFS) \u2013 an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psfc.mit.edu\/\">MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center<\/a> spinout based in Boston that counts Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates among its backers<a href=\"#_ftn13\" name=\"_ftnref13\">[13]<\/a> \u2013 and Canada-based <a href=\"https:\/\/generalfusion.com\/\">General Fusion<\/a>, which is also backed by Bezos.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_94692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94692\" style=\"width: 2218px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94692\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2218\" height=\"1432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09.jpg 2218w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-1024x661.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-150x97.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-768x496.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-1536x992.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Commonwealth-Fusion-Systems_111821_09-2048x1322.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2218px) 100vw, 2218px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-94692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Mumgaard, (right) Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, CFS, and Fady Jameel, (left) Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel at the offices of CFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In December 2021, the <a href=\"https:\/\/jimco.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-announces-major-participation-in-us-1-8-billion-series-b-funding-round-for-commonwealth-fusion-systems\/\">JIMCO Technology Fund participated<\/a> in CFS\u2019s US$ 1.8 billion <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-announces-major-participation-in-us-1-8-billion-series-b-funding-round-for-commonwealth-fusion-systems\/\">Series B funding<\/a> round to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy.\u00a0 That same month, it also announced its participation in General Fusion\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/jimco-technology-fund-confirms-major-participation-in-us-130-million-transitional-series-e-funding-round-for-general-fusion\/\">Series E financing<\/a> round of US$ 130 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yeSvUmD51Ig\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/generalfusion.com\/\">General Fusion<\/a>\u2019s technology uses the MTF approach outlined above to plough a middle furrow between MCF and ICF.\u00a0 In this process, the reactor avoids the need for magnetic confinement by using powerful electric pulses to create self-stabilizing puffs of plasma that are then injected into the reactor\u2019s core. \u00a0It has been likened to a smoke ring, in which the air currents within the ring maintain its shape for a few seconds before it vanishes<a href=\"#_ftn14\" name=\"_ftnref14\">[14]<\/a>.\u00a0 The puffs of plasma only last around 20 milliseconds, but that is long enough for them to be compressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kVLBhKxgBCk\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The core of General Fusion&#8217;s reactor will be lined with molten lithium and lead. \u00a0Once a puff of plasma has been injected, ranks of gas-driven pistons will compress the core, changing it from a cylinder to a sphere and drastically boosting the fusion rate. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The reactor\u2019s liquid-metal jacket not only compresses the plasma but also captures the energy from the reaction. \u00a0Heated metal will be piped to a heat exchanger and used to raise steam. \u00a0Neutrons from the fusion reaction, meanwhile, will transform some of the lithium into more tritium fuel, which would otherwise be rare and expensive. \u00a0The reactor can also increase or decrease power output ten-fold by changing the speed at which the core cycles.\u00a0 This should allow it to \u2018load-follow\u2019, ramping up production when electricity demand is high and cutting back when it is low.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_103017\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103017\" style=\"width: 920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103017\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/General-Fision-2019.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"920\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/General-Fision-2019.jpg 920w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/General-Fision-2019-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/General-Fision-2019-150x69.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/General-Fision-2019-768x355.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103017\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The team at Canada\u2019s General Fusion with some of the MTF reactor components. Image credit \u00a9 General Fusion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Laser compression, such as that used at the National Ignition Facility, takes billionths of a second.\u00a0 But compression in the General Fusion reactor takes thousandths of seconds, bringing it within the range of far cheaper digital electronics.\u00a0 The result should be a reactor that is cheaper and simpler to build and operate than either an MCF or an ICF machine.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YmFuow9ZC_c\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>General Fusion is constructing a demonstration plant at Culham, near London \u2013 the hub of UK fusion research for decades \u2013 that is scheduled to start operating in 2025.\u00a0 The company aims to have its first reactors on the market in the early 2030s.<\/p>\n<h2>Taking on the tokamak<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95133\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95133\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-95133\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2-300x163.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Mumgaard\" width=\"300\" height=\"163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2-300x163.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2-1024x557.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2-150x82.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2-768x417.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bob-Mumgaard-CFS-2.jpg 1516w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95133\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Mumgaard, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, CFS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Boston-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems is taking a different approach, based on tokamak technology.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mumgaard\/\">Bob Mumgaard<\/a>, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/cfs.energy\/\">CFS<\/a>, says the company aims to have a working reactor in six years. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a recent interview for an Abdul Latif Jameel <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/the-future-is-fusion\/\">Perspectives article<\/a>, Mumgaard explained how his company used ground-breaking high-temperature superconductors (HTS) made from rare earth barium copper oxide to make powerful magnets far smaller than ever before. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This means that the tokamak used in the reactor can also be far smaller.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cCurrent tokamak technology requires them to be very large to create the magnetic field to achieve net energy for fusion,<\/em>\u201d he said, pointing out that the site for the ITER plant in France is 1 kilometer long and 400m wide. \u00a0\u201c<em>By developing these HTS magnets in the right configurations, we can now make much, much smaller tokamaks \u2013 about 40 times smaller than ITER, for example \u2013 which is a game-changer for fusion systems.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_95161\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-95161\" style=\"width: 2246px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-95161\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2246\" height=\"848\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS.jpg 2246w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-300x113.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-1024x387.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-150x57.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-768x290.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-1536x580.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/12\/JIMCO-visit-to-CFS-2048x773.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2246px) 100vw, 2246px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-95161\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Mumgaard CEO, CFS, leads Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel, together with Denis G Whyte from MIT PSFC into the Commonwealth Fusion Systems workshop- a single HTS magnet can be seen in its case bottom left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To give an idea of the strength of the HTS magnets, the power of magnets \u2013 the magnetic field strength \u2013 is measured in a unit called Teslas.<a href=\"#_ftn15\" name=\"_ftnref15\">[15]<\/a> \u00a0The magnets used by CFS in its reactors are 20 Teslas \u2013 big enough to lift a battleship.\u00a0 Mumgaard calls the tokamak a \u201cbig magnetic bottle&#8221; where powerful magnetic fields control balls of 100-million-degree plasma \u2014 &#8220;star stuff.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Having successfully the proof of concept in September 2021, MIT and CFS together are constructing what Mumgaard calls \u201cthe first fusion machine that makes net energy\u201d \u2014 that is, the first fusion plant that will produce more energy than it consumes; 10 times more energy, according to Mumgaard, with an output of 100 MW of power<a href=\"#_ftn16\" name=\"_ftnref16\">[16]<\/a>. \u00a0Named SPARC, it is being constructed in Devens, Massachusetts and is scheduled to be in operation by the end of 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_103024\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103024\" style=\"width: 1706px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-103024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1706\" height=\"956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS.jpg 1706w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-1024x574.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-1536x861.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.alj.com\/app\/uploads\/2022\/10\/SPARC-illustration-CFS-226x126.jpg 226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-103024\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SPARC Illustration \u00a9 Courtesy CFS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Power of private capital<\/h2>\n<p>Such are the huge sums of investment required to advance fusion technology, and the long payback horizons, that Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, believes private investors are vital to the long-term success of fusion energy<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Private capital and family businesses both have the advantage of patience.\u00a0 They can afford to invest for the longer term because they don\u2019t have a raft of shareholders demanding returns in three to five years<\/em>,\u201d he says.\u00a0 \u201c<em>As such, I believe they have a unique opportunity, arguably a responsibility, to invest in these types of breakthrough future technologies as part of their business continuity, and also as a responsibility for future generations<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abdul Latif Jameel itself has a long track record of investing in <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/feel-the-power\/\">sustainable energy technologies<\/a>. \u00a0It also has its own businesses working in the renewables sector, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/almarwater.com\/\">Almar Water Solutions<\/a>, a leading company in the development and management of water infrastructure and services, and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (<a href=\"https:\/\/frv.com\/en\/\">FRV<\/a>), both part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy. \u00a0FRV has a range of projects developing sustainable energy, from its nine <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/abdul-latif-jameel-energys-frv-achieves-commercial-operation-status-with-metz-solar-farm-in-australia\/\">solar farms in Australia<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/abdul-latif-jameel-energys-frv-and-harmony-energy-begin-construction-of-one-the-uks-largest-battery-storage-projects\/\">Clay Tye<\/a>, the UK\u2019s largest battery storage development project, which will contribute to the decarbonization of Britain\u2019s energy grid.<\/p>\n<h2>Rich rewards<\/h2>\n<p>With investment in fusion energy at record levels, driven largely by private capital rather than just government backing, there is a question: what is it worth?<\/p>\n<p>Bloomberg Intelligence<a href=\"#_ftn17\" name=\"_ftnref17\">[17]<\/a> believes that success \u2013 a commercially viable reactor \u2013 is so near that it is worth attempting an answer. \u00a0Its paper on the subject says commercially viable fusion energy would be an achievement \u201coff the Richter scale of modern advancements\u201d.\u00a0 It believes Tesla (the motor manufacturer) is the closest comparator, even though the consequences of fusion energy are far greater.<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that fusion could replace 1% of the world\u2019s energy gigawatt output, this would imply a US$ 40 trillion valuation, it concludes. Far more than that, fusion energy would turn the energy market on its head and, in the process, transform what we thought possible. \u00a0Limitless, clean, renewable and affordable energy for all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Surely a future worth investing in?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up\">https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/nuclear-fusion-market-could-achieve-a-40-trillion-valuation\/\">https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/nuclear-fusion-market-could-achieve-a-40-trillion-valuation\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/christopherhelman\/2022\/01\/02\/fueled-by-billionaire-dollars-nuclear-fusion-enters-a-new-age\/\">https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/christopherhelman\/2022\/01\/02\/fueled-by-billionaire-dollars-nuclear-fusion-enters-a-new-age\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/future-technology\/fusion-power-future\/\">https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/future-technology\/fusion-power-future\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/03\/06\/bezos-microsoft-bet-on-a-10-trillion-energy-fix-for-the-planet.html\">https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/03\/06\/bezos-microsoft-bet-on-a-10-trillion-energy-fix-for-the-planet.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\">[6]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/bill-gates-and-big-oil-are-chasing-the-nuclear-fusion-dream-2020-06-03\">https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/bill-gates-and-big-oil-are-chasing-the-nuclear-fusion-dream-2020-06-03<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref7\" name=\"_ftn7\">[7]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/understanding-climate\/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide\">https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/understanding-climate\/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref8\" name=\"_ftn8\">[8]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iter.org\/sci\/Fusion\">https:\/\/www.iter.org\/sci\/Fusion<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref9\" name=\"_ftn9\">[9]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up\">https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref10\" name=\"_ftn10\">[10]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/ccfe.ukaea.uk\/fusion-energy\/fusion-in-brief\/\">https:\/\/ccfe.ukaea.uk\/fusion-energy\/fusion-in-brief\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref11\" name=\"_ftn11\">[11]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/22801265\/fusion-energy-electricity-power-climate-change-research-iter\">https:\/\/www.vox.com\/22801265\/fusion-energy-electricity-power-climate-change-research-iter<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref12\" name=\"_ftn12\">[12]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iter.org\/sci\/MakingitWork\">https:\/\/www.iter.org\/sci\/MakingitWork<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref13\" name=\"_ftn13\">[13]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/the-economist-explains\/2022\/02\/09\/what-is-nuclear-fusion\">https:\/\/www.economist.com\/the-economist-explains\/2022\/02\/09\/what-is-nuclear-fusion<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref14\" name=\"_ftn14\">[14]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up\">https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2021\/06\/24\/the-race-to-build-a-commercial-fusion-reactor-hots-up<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref15\" name=\"_ftn15\">[15]<\/a> The Tesla (T) is a derived unit of the magnetic B-field strength in the International System of Units. One tesla is equal to one weber per square meter. \u00a01 T in: is equal to SI base units: 1 kg\u22c5s\u22122\u22c5A\u22121 Symbol: T Derivation: 1 T = 1 Wb\/m2<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref16\" name=\"_ftn16\">[16]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/immersive\/d41586-021-03401-w\/index.html\">https:\/\/www.nature.com\/immersive\/d41586-021-03401-w\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref17\" name=\"_ftn17\">[17]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/nuclear-fusion-market-could-achieve-a-40-trillion-valuation\/\">https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/professional\/blog\/nuclear-fusion-market-could-achieve-a-40-trillion-valuation\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":102996,"template":"","tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fusing the future of energy | Abdul Latif Jameel\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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