Situation and Prospects of Nuclear Fusion as an Energy Source

Due to its environmental and economic potential, as well as safety considerations, the nuclear fusion of light nuclei is one of the few sustainable options for providing continuous, long-term, and large-scale energy to the world’s growing population.

The remarkable progress achieved by the scientific and technological community in understanding the underlying physics of fusion processes and in developing the technology to implement them has led, on one hand, to the establishment of roadmaps—both in Europe and Asia—aimed at shortening the path towards the commercialization of this energy source; and on the other hand, to a growing interest from private investors in new and/or revived old ideas that promise to accelerate the implementation of nuclear fusion for electricity production.

All of this, together with recent news about “historic” results in the race to achieve nuclear fusion, is fostering the perception that we are on the verge of attaining the energy “Holy Grail”. In this talk, in addition to presenting the latest results obtained in the experimental field of fusion—both magnetic and inertial confinement—the current situation, progress, and remaining challenges for implementing nuclear fusion as a source of electrical energy will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the role of F4E and the two pillars of the European roadmap: the international ITER Project, under construction in southern France, and the IFMIF-DONES neutron source, also under construction in Granada.