US researchers revealed a significant development in nuclear fusion On Tuesday, calling it a “landmark achievement” in the pursuit of an endless supply of clean energy that would replace dependency on fossil fuels.
A recent experiment, according to the Californian Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), “generated more energy from fusion than the laser energy necessary to drive it.”
The achievement of fusion ignition was hailed by the US Department of Energy as a “significant scientific milestone” that would “enable advances in national defence and the future of clean power.”
According to LLNL director Kim Budil, “It is one of the most critical scientific issues ever confronted by humanity.”
Scientists have been working on nuclear fusion for decades and it is hailed by proponents as a clean, abundant, and secure energy source that could one day enable humanity to stop its dependence on the fossil fuels that are causing a worldwide climate disaster.
The LLNL stated that on December 5, a team at its National Ignition Facility (NIF) successfully carried out the first controlled fusion experiment in history, reaching “scientific energy breakeven.”
The enormous National Ignition Facility, which consists of 192 extremely powerful lasers all focused at a hydrogen-filled cylinder the size of a thimble, is used by researchers at the LLNL.
While fusion emits no carbon during operation, it has many additional benefits over fission, including no threat of a nuclear meltdown and significantly less radioactive waste.
However, there is still a long way to go before fusion is practical on a large scale.
