World’s Biggest Nuclear Fusion Reactor Unveiled in Japan; Could It Be the Answer to Humanity’s Future Energy Needs?

Nuclear power plants traditionally use fission, which involves splitting atomic nuclei to harness energy. Unlike nuclear fission, fusion mimics the Sun's energy production by merging small nuclei, potentially providing a safer and more abundant energy source. Scientists and climate change activists have pinned hopes on using fusion to fuel the world, hoping to generate more energy without releasing dangerous waste products.

'Holy Grail' of Power Production

Humanity's journey to clean energy use has taken another leap forward. On December 1, Japan's joint fusion reactor project with the European Union was inaugurated in Naka, marking the start of experimental operations for the world's largest and most advanced tokamak.

The system, known as JT-60SA, is a six-story-high donut-shaped machine housed at the National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology. Its goal is to investigate the feasibility of nuclear fusion as a safe, large-scale, and carbon-free source of net energy, having more energy generated than put into producing it.

The device results from a collaboration between 500 scientists and engineers and over 70 companies throughout Europe and Japan. According to JT-60SA deputy project leader Sam Davis, the reactor will bring humanity closer to fusion energy.

JT-60SA is the forerunner of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), currently under construction in France and scheduled to operate in 2025. ITER will build on the knowledge obtained by scientists from tests on the JT-60SA. Experts believe this technology can usher in an era of limitless, clean, safe, and affordable energy to meet global energy needs.

During the inauguration ceremony, EU's Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama reaffirmed their long-standing commitment to the field of fusion energy. They also expressed their support for the international effort to develop fusion energy.

Generating fusion energy does not produce carbon dioxide, making it a significant technology in the path to net zero emissions. Fusion reaction is also intrinsically safe since it stops when the power source or fuel supply is shut down. In addition, the process also does not produce high-level, long-lived radioactive waste. Because of this, fusion is considered one of the next-generation energy sources that can simultaneously address energy supply and environmental challenges.

How Does Tokamak Work?

Tokamak is an acronym from the Russian тороидальная камера с магнитными, катушками which means "toroidal chambre with magnetic coils." It is an experimental device that uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus.

Tokamak works by introducing gaseous fuel into the chamber. The magnetic coil causes the chamber to accelerate very fast, ionizing the gas to become plasma. The plasma is then heated to very high temperatures, up to 540 million degrees Fahrenheit (300 million degrees Celsius).

These temperatures inside the tokamak are enough to force the hydrogen atoms to overcome their natural electromagnetic resistance and fuse to create helium. This process releases energy in the form of light and heat, like the Sun's inner workings.

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