Experimenting with nuclear fusion produces more energy than it consumes for the first time

According to the British Financial Times, the reaction produced 2.5 megajoules of energy compared to the 2.1 megajoules used to power the “laser” that bombards hydrogen isotopes preserved in a state of superheated plasma in order to fuse them into helium, which leads to their release. Neutron energy and clean (carbon free).

The experiment, which constitutes a breakthrough in the use of nuclear fusion technology to produce clean, cheap and almost unlimited energy, was conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which specializes in nuclear research.

In February, European researchers, including Portuguese researchers, announced that they had achieved a sustainable fusion energy record in a test aimed at preparing for operation of the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor, under construction in France.

In the test, which took place at the end of last year and lasted five seconds, a record value of 59 megajoules of continuous fusion energy was obtained in the European fusion device Torus (JET), the largest of its kind in the world, operating in the United Kingdom.

The fusion process, which is the opposite of the fission of heavy atoms (uranium) on which current nuclear energy relies, consists of the joining of atoms of light elements, such as hydrogen, at high temperatures, forming helium and releasing a huge amount of energy in the form of heat. Fusion reactions are created by stars like the Sun.

The nuclear fission technology, which generates highly radioactive waste, produces only 10% of the world’s energy, much less than coal and gas (fossil fuels that have a strong impact on the environment).

The United States is one of the partners, along with the European Union, China or Japan, in the experimental nuclear fusion reactor under construction in France, which will be a “waiting room” for the future European experimental fusion power plant, under study and with which it aims to test clean electricity production. and safe.

In March, researcher Eduardo Alves, involved in the experimental reactor project, admitted in Llosa’s remarks that energy from nuclear fusion could be within reach within 40 to 50 years.