ITER, the world’s largest experimental fusion reactor, was delayed againThe €25 billion mega-project will not be operational until 2034 and will begin producing energy in 2039. That is almost a decade later than originally planned.
Thirty-five countries, including the UK, the US, China and Russia, launched the ITER core in 2006 to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. The startups may eventually get there first.
As private companies compete to commercialize fusion energy, it is becoming increasingly clear that ITER will play a more supporting role. But that does not mean it is obsolete.
ITER, one of the largest and most expensive scientific experiments in history, is nearing completion in France. However, the reactor will not be operational for another 10 years. Image credit: ITER
ITER is the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor. Here you can see through the center of the twin sector assembly tools (SSATs) used to assemble the toroidal field coils and heat shields that hold the plasma in place. Photo credit: ITER
We spoke to some of Europe's biggest fusion energy startups to learn more about what the recent delays to ITER mean for the future of the industry. For some, the challenges highlight the need for better collaboration between private companies and governments – both of whom want the same thing: to unlock a virtually unlimited, safe and clean source of energy for humanity.
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“Delays in the public sector mean ITER is unlikely to be completed in time to have a meaningful impact on the energy transition and the baseload of clean energy needed by 2050,” Ryan Ramsey, COO at First Light Fusion, told TNW.
“The private fusion sector is developing viable fusion projects at a much faster pace.”
First Light is developing an inertial fusion reactor that it believes will be “faster and cheaper” than the tokamak facility that ITER is currently building.
When it comes to harnessing fusion energy, there are many ways to go about it. The most well-researched is magnetic encapsulation, used in devices like tokamaks and stellarators, which use strong magnetic fields to confine hot plasma. Then there's inertial fusion (ICF), where intense laser beams compress fuel pellets to create fusion conditions, as seen at the US National Ignition Facility. There are many variations between these two paradigms.
First Light is pursuing a form of ICF called projectile fusion, in which an object resembling a copper coin is fired at tremendous speed into a target containing fusion fuel.
First Light's so-called Big Friendly Gun is the UK's most powerful projectile launcher, firing objects at tremendous speeds at a target containing fusion fuel (SEE BELOW). Image credit: First Light Fusion
This target is intended to increase the impact pressure. Image credit: First Light Fusion
“Although ITER has produced important scientific discoveries, including for us, it is simply not relevant to what we do,” said Ramsey. “We are an agile, fast-growing company that is advancing its technology at a rapid pace. The news about ITER reinforces our strategy to continue.”
For First Light, ITER is no longer as useful as it once was. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's useless.
Joint effort?
“Private fusion industries benefit in many ways from ITER’s research and development,” Peter Roos, CEO of Stockholm-based Novatron, told TNW.
ITER is one of the largest scientific experiments in history and has already achieved a number of technical breakthroughs in the almost 20 years of its development. These include advances in the science of magnets, heat-resistant materials and Tritium breeding – a process that is crucial for a self-sustaining fusion reactor.
Nevertheless, Roos continues to believe that a “private initiative” will initially succeed in realising a commercially viable power plant.
Ross' company Novatron is working on a new type of magnetic fusion known as a “mirror machine.” The startup claims its design solves one of fusion's biggest mysteries – the stability of the plasma.
Novatron's design of a nuclear fusion reactor. Image credit: Novatron Fusion
“The delays at ITER are no surprise to me,” said Roos. “But they underscore that ITER should prioritize the development of shared technologies that are of value to the private sector.”
This view is shared by Tokamak Energy, Europe's best-funded fusion startup based in Oxford, UK. Company spokesman Stuart White told us the company would like to see more knowledge sharing between ITER and private companies.
ITER launched its first Public-private workshop in May as it seeks to promote a “cross-sector approach to fusion innovation” in response to the “changing fusion R&D landscape.”
“We are encouraged by ITER’s willingness to share information and be more open and cooperative,” White said.
When ITER was launched, there were five fusion start-ups; today there are almost 50. As these companies compete to commercialize fusion energy, it is becoming increasingly clear that ITER will take a back seat.
However, these companies still face enormous challenges. They are all still in the research and development phase and have not yet demonstrated net energy gain – the point at which a fusion reaction produces more energy than is used to generate it – let alone building a reactor that produces electricity at a competitive price.
Given these hurdles, it simply makes sense to leverage ITER's expertise. With climate change worsening and the need for clean energy greater than ever, both the public and private sides of the industry would do well to join forces rather than split.
