US Achieves 'Nuclear Fusion Ignition' Again... "Analyzing Results"

Bloomberg reported on the 6th (local time) that a U.S. government-affiliated research institute has re-achieved 'nuclear fusion ignition,' a major milestone in nuclear fusion power, after several months of failure.

The research team at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), under the U.S. Department of Energy, succeeded again in nuclear fusion ignition in an experiment on the 30th of last month.

The institute told Bloomberg, "In the experiment conducted on the 30th, we re-achieved (nuclear fusion) ignition," adding, "Analysis of the results is underway." They further stated, "Following standard practice, we plan to announce the research results through conferences and peer-reviewed publications."

This success came after seven months of disappointing failures following the announcement of the first nuclear fusion ignition success at the institute in December of last year.

Photo by Bloomberg News

Nuclear fusion ignition means producing more energy from the fusion reaction than the energy input to initiate the fusion. Nuclear fusion power, based on the same principle as the sun, is gaining attention as a clean energy source that does not emit carbon.

However, it is expected to take considerable time before actual commercialization. The New York Times (NYT) reported that the laser equipment used for fusion is large and expensive, and for commercial use, lasers capable of firing as fast as a machine gun shooting 10 times per second are needed.

Kimberly Budil, director of LLNL, said at a briefing on the research results in December last year, "There are very large obstacles to overcome not only scientifically but also technologically," adding, "If efforts and investments focus on foundational technology research, it will be possible to build power plants within a few decades."

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