Is nuclear fusion the future of clean energy?

Fund and build more fission plants, research fusion. While fusion is the future, it's not going to come fast enough to stop extensive environmental damage. Focus on building what we have now that can easily solve the issue, and continue looking into better alternatives in the meantime.

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Interesting, but grid energy from fusion is far away, if it will ever come. We can hope, since hope is free, but we should plan the energy transition without taking into account nuclear fusion.

Nice video. They been there since the 80's in the big building working on this. See you did use some Culham village and science center drone stuff of mine. Very nice.

There are 43 private fusion companies: 25 in US 6 in EU 3 in UK 3 in Japan 2 in China 1 in New Zealand 1 in Australia 1 in Canada 1 in Israel

Ultimately it will come down to cost. Solar & wind farms might just get the last laugh--IF stationary storage batteries get bigger and cheaper. Think about it: 'Overbuilding' solar & off shore windfarms will allow any excess power to be dumped into storage--far far cheaper than keeping a labor intensive nuclear/fusion/coal or even LNG powerplant on line. Plus, any extra (when storage is "full") could be used to make cheap H2 (and O2) as a side benefit.

I’m surprised at the negative comments around fusion energy. With the accelerated advancement in progress on this it is only a matter of time before it is solved. Fusion energy is a game changer. The amount of resource to build solar and wind farms with the relative low energy return, will never compare with the energy return of fusion energy.

The problem of nuclear fusion is not technology. It is economy. Maybe we can make viable fusion technolgy and reactor by 2050, but its cost to build and operate will far exceed that of nuclear fission reactor, let alone conventional fossil fuel powerplant. So, it will not replace conventional power plants in the foreseeable future. We need interim solutions before transition to nuclear fusion. 4-th generation nuclear fission reactors like molten salt reactor or pebble bed reactor seems to be promising.

We actually need a more robust system to fuse these fuels together but right now tokamak will suffice in the future when we do use fusion for energy use we will use something like more raw in nature like comprehensive fusion it can be built by new material science.

Nuclear fission first then fusion, don't bite off more than you can chew

Quantum mechanics allows for a small portions of fast neutrons are created. These neutrons would make the fusion chamber radioac😮tive. What are the precautions are 4:26 be formulated to 6:13 mitigate this

This should become feasible 30 years into the future. And this will always be the case: 30 years into the future.

Nuclear Fusion, the concept that it has always been 30 years into the future

If it is possible, it will change the world completely. It would be mastering the universe. We will have the power of stars in our hands.

It is most disappointing that the Economist did not take a more critical look into the claims of commercial fusion power on the grid in the coming decade or so. It’s not credible. None of the latest concepts extrapolate to a plant with sufficiently robust reliability to be practical for grid operations. We need urgent help for the climate challenges. Fusion won’t come in time. We’d be better off pushing harder on fission plants. Fusion is worthy of research funding support. Just please stop this nonsense about fusion power on the grid coming soon. Fantasy for the venture capitalists. I expected better from the Economist.

I don't know how feasible this is, but please save us. The powerful are only interested in what preserves them, not the world.

One of the most exciting times to live in!

Excelent, superb article.

The source of energy of the future which will always remain so.

Is nuclear fission the future of clean energy? Fixed it for you!