COULD THIS BE THE SILVER BULLET TO HELP SOLVE OUR ENERGY PROBLEMS ?

The world’s biggest nuclear fusion reactor has begun operations in Japan, marking a major milestone towards achieving the “holy grail” of clean energy. The experimental JT-60SA reactor in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture offers the best opportunity yet to test nuclear fusion as a sustainable and near limitless power source. Harnessing the same natural reactions found within the sun, nuclear fusion requires no fossil fuels and leaves behind no hazardous waste. The JT-60SA reactor is a joint project between the European Union and Japan, aiming to investigate the feasibility of the next-generation energy source. “The generation of fusion energy does not produce carbon dioxide – making it an important technology in the path to net zero emissions,” the European Union’s directorate-general for energy said in a press release. “The fusion reaction is intrinsically safe: it stops when the fuel supply or power source is shut down. It generates no high-level long-lived radioactive waste. Because of these characteristics, fusion qualifies as one of the next-generation energy sources that simultaneously addresses energy supply and environmental challenges.” Since it was first conceived of by physicists in the 1950s, nuclear fusion has challenged scientists around the world. Major breakthroughs in recent years have reignited hope that it can be realised at scale within the next decade.