Fusion Power: The Milestones Bringing Clean Energy Closer
From the first laboratory 'ignition' to record energy output, fusion research has passed historic milestones. How close is fusion power?
Fusion, the process that powers the Sun, promises abundant energy with no carbon emissions and little long-lived radioactive waste. For decades it has been famously "30 years away". Recent milestones suggest real progress, even if commercial power is still some way off.
Ignition at last
In December 2022, scientists at the U.S. National Ignition Facility achieved fusion "ignition" for the first time, producing more energy from a fusion reaction (about 3.15 megajoules) than the laser energy delivered to the fuel (about 2.05 megajoules). The result has since been repeated.
Records in Europe
The UK's Joint European Torus set a world record for fusion energy output in its final experiments in 2023, producing 69 megajoules before the machine closed after four decades of operation.
The road ahead
- ITER, the international project in France, has faced long delays, with major operations now expected in the 2030s.
- Private companies have raised billions to build compact reactors, aiming to demonstrate net energy sooner.
Why it matters
Ignition proved the physics works. The challenge now is engineering: producing more energy than the whole facility consumes, reliably and affordably. Fusion is unlikely to power homes this decade, but it has moved from a question of if to a question of when.
