Fusion – from here to reality

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Oct 28, 2010

Fusion – the nuclear process that powers the Sun – has long held promise as a potential source of energy here on Earth. But recreating such conditions under experimental conditions is far from easy, which is one reason why a commercial fusion plant is still many decades away. Still, if physicists and engineers can pull the trick off, fusion could play a massive role as a vital part of our future energy mix.

In this exclusive physicsworld.com video, David Ward from the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) in the UK discusses the challenges in going from the ITER fusion experiment being built in southern France to a working fusion plant, dubbed DEMO. Ward, who is head of power plants and energy at the CCFE, has spent a quarter of a century in the fusion field. What's interesting is that he predicts not just one version of DEMO, but lots, with China potentially leading the way.

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