Mind you, a commercial fusion reactor company is currently aiming for net energy production in 2031 using a stellarator. Their series A funding round raised 130 million Euros so investors seem inclined to believe them. Technologically it also checks out; both stellarators and tokamaks have taken major steps forward in recent years.
The eternal 30 year timeframe has shrunk an awful lot over the last decade.
True, of course, but we did make huge leaps in fusion power in the last years. We’re currently at a stage where several teams are currently constructing reactors intended to demonstrate break-even (so more energy comes out than is put in), with ones viable as power plants already being designed. The one I mentioned plans to run their demo reactor in 2027; the 2031 one is supposed to be the commercially viable one.
That’s a hell of a lot better than the “we will have some kind of viable reactor at some point within the next three decades” we’ve been hearing for the last 50 years. It could be several simultaneous high-profile scams, of course, but their plans are plausible.
Mind you, this won’t take us to a future of unlimited cheap power and micro fusion reactors in every pocket. Deuterium and tritium don’t grow on trees and fusion reactors have a fairly substantial minimum size. Also, renewable power sources are a much cheaper and easier way of generating power. Fusion’s strength is that it’s a “generate a lot of heat and drive a turbine” type of power source so it can be used as a cogeneration plant (providing both power and district heating) or to provide heat for industrial processes, which renewables aren’t great for.
Mind you, a commercial fusion reactor company is currently aiming for net energy production in 2031 using a stellarator. Their series A funding round raised 130 million Euros so investors seem inclined to believe them. Technologically it also checks out; both stellarators and tokamaks have taken major steps forward in recent years.
The eternal 30 year timeframe has shrunk an awful lot over the last decade.
Investors are dumb as fuck https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/09/nikola-admits-prototype-was-rolling-downhill-in-promotional-video/ These guys raised something like $760M
True, of course, but we did make huge leaps in fusion power in the last years. We’re currently at a stage where several teams are currently constructing reactors intended to demonstrate break-even (so more energy comes out than is put in), with ones viable as power plants already being designed. The one I mentioned plans to run their demo reactor in 2027; the 2031 one is supposed to be the commercially viable one.
That’s a hell of a lot better than the “we will have some kind of viable reactor at some point within the next three decades” we’ve been hearing for the last 50 years. It could be several simultaneous high-profile scams, of course, but their plans are plausible.
Mind you, this won’t take us to a future of unlimited cheap power and micro fusion reactors in every pocket. Deuterium and tritium don’t grow on trees and fusion reactors have a fairly substantial minimum size. Also, renewable power sources are a much cheaper and easier way of generating power. Fusion’s strength is that it’s a “generate a lot of heat and drive a turbine” type of power source so it can be used as a cogeneration plant (providing both power and district heating) or to provide heat for industrial processes, which renewables aren’t great for.
I believe you’re talking about Proxima Fusion? I’m optimistic, although I have absolutely no understanding of the material. But one can hope!