Francesco Sciortino, co-founder and CEO of German startup Proxima Fusion, believes fusion energy can complement wind and solar power and become a “decisive building block” for Europe’s energy security.
“Fusion holds the potential to fundamentally transform the way we think about energy, changing the world from a place that’s controlled by those with reserves of oil and gas, to one where technology lets countries control their own fate,” he told TNW.
Fusion reactors for power generation are a true technology of the future, as they have always been, and will always be just 30 years into the future.
Sure. Maybe in twenty to thirty years. As it’s always been for the last fifty to seventy years.
On one hand, it’s true that there will be no near-term return. On the other hand, if nobody makes the investment because it is a large project, then it will never happen.
A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit.
The biggest fusion reactor in the world is being built in France right now, with the EU as the leading funder
ITER isn’t going to be a commercial service, though. It’s another stage in the R&D process.
After ITER happens, assuming no unexpected disruptions, looks like the next planned stage is construction of demonstrators:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEMOnstration_Power_Plant
This 2012 roadmap was intended to be updated in 2015 and 2019.[30]: 49 The EFDA was superseded by EUROfusion in 2013. The roadmap was subsequently updated in 2018.[31]
- Conceptual design to be complete before 2030
- Engineering design 2030-2040
- Construction from 2040
This would imply operations commencing sometime in the 2050s.
General commercial service would be at least a phase after that.
So it’s going to be a while. I mean, I’m not saying that there won’t be anyone alive using commercially-generated fusion electricity who remembers the year 2025, but it’s not going to be a near-term thing. Fusion power generation requires taking a long-term view.
Isn’t that exactly the kind of “when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit” that you were advocating for?
Yes?
I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m saying that ITER isn’t going to make this a near-term thing.
I didn’t say we shouldn’t invest in or continue to research it. But it’s not a solution (or even part of one) for anything in the foreseeable future.
Didn’t know fusion energy was a photovoltaics company. Guess that makes sense judging from the name.
Hope they deliver a lot of TWh/annum by next year.
This has always been a truth
