One of the most read articles on this blog is ” 10 reasons to support nuclear power “, which I wrote in 2009 when the situation was very different. A lot happened since then that has made me reconsider my stance on nuclear, so here is a counter-point.
Fusion
An overview of future fusion nuclear technologies
For the fourth and last part of my nuclear series and after reviewing 10 reasons to support nuclear, the past and present of this energy source and a review of the main fission future solutions we are finishing with fusion.
Contrary to future fission solutions, fusion won’t happen before mid-century as it is the exact opposite of current fission reactors. Instead of breaking large atoms, fusion aggregates small atoms to create larger ones.
This is what happens in any star like our sun. As this endeavor is very complex and costly, I believe we shouldn’t think of fusion to solve our current climate and energy problems.
10 reasons to support nuclear power
Warning: This is an old post from 2009, before the catastrophe of Fukushima, Japan and before the sharp decrease of prices for both solar and wind. I have since then changed my position on nuclear, cf Five reasons to oppose nuclear. Some points below however, remain valid.
The end of nuclear waste ?
By reading Clean Technica I came across a news that might change the way many people consider nuclear energy. Indeed, one of the main issues of nuclear today is the waste produced by fission.
But to researches carried out in the University of Texas at Austin a process called Compact Fusion Neutron Source (CFNS), combines fission and fusion and would allow to cut by 99 percent the amount of by-products.
CFNS is based on tokamak technology and uses a crucial invention: the Super X Divertor. This could represent a brilliant solution for the future.
Could fusion be a solution to our problems ?
Even if energy efficiency is today’s best solution to all our climate change and energy scarcity problems (see why), I was thinking that I never wrote here about fusion, the future of nuclear energy.
Due to be environmentally friendly and even safer than current nuclear with fission, fusion will provides us tremendous amounts of energy once it will be ready for commercialization.
Today’s article will have a look at the current main project on fusion, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor also known as ITER.