Japan has officially inaugurated the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor, the JT-60SA, located in Naka north of Tokyo. The project, a collaboration between the European Union and Japan, aims to investigate the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale, safe, and carbon-free source of net energy. Fusion, which differs from the currently used fission in nuclear power plants, involves fusing two atomic nuclei rather than splitting one.
The JT-60SA reactor comprises a six-storey-high “tokamak” vessel designed to contain swirling plasma heated up to 200 million degrees Celsius. This project is a precursor to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France. Both initiatives aim to achieve net energy gain, where more energy is generated than is invested in the process.
The ultimate goal is to mimic the fusion process that occurs inside the Sun, where hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium, releasing energy in the form of light and heat. Fusion, considered a potential clean and virtually unlimited energy source, does not carry the risk of catastrophic nuclear accidents associated with fission. Unlike fission, fusion also produces less radioactive waste.
EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson called the JT-60SA “the most advanced tokamak in the world,” emphasizing the potential for fusion to become a key component of the energy mix in the future. The project represents a significant milestone in fusion history and contributes to the ongoing quest for a sustainable and cleaner energy source. Japan Inaugurates World’s Largest Experimental Nuclear Fusion Reactor.
Japan has officially inaugurated the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor, the JT-60SA, located in Naka north of Tokyo. The project, a collaboration between the European Union and Japan, aims to investigate the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale, safe, and carbon-free source of net energy. Fusion, which differs from the currently used fission in nuclear power plants, involves fusing two atomic nuclei rather than splitting one.
The JT-60SA reactor comprises a six-storey-high “tokamak” vessel designed to contain swirling plasma heated up to 200 million degrees Celsius. This project is a precursor to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France. Both initiatives aim to achieve net energy gain, where more energy is generated than is invested in the process.
The ultimate goal is to mimic the fusion process that occurs inside the Sun, where hydrogen nuclei fuse into helium, releasing energy in the form of light and heat. Fusion, considered a potential clean and virtually unlimited energy source, does not carry the risk of catastrophic nuclear accidents associated with fission. Unlike fission, fusion also produces less radioactive waste.
EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson called the JT-60SA “the most advanced tokamak in the world,” emphasizing the potential for fusion to become a key component of the energy mix in the future. The project represents a significant milestone in fusion history and contributes to the ongoing quest for a sustainable and cleaner energy source.
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