Many people hear and think of nuclear fusion as a technological advancement waiting hundreds of years in the future, but the truth is we are closer than most think. Many people know nuclear fusion is a very powerful energy method, but very few actually understand what it is and how it works. Earth is already being powered and has been for millions of years, by the world’s most popular fusion reactor: the Sun.
The Sun’s source of energy is quite simple in concept. The gravity and heat are so intense inside of the star that atoms move at incredibly high speeds. When at this high-energy level, their properties start to become less abundant and the atoms start to act differently. When two atoms collide, they have so much energy that they combine to make an atom with a larger nucleus. For example, when two hydrogen atoms collide, they form a helium atom. This process releases a lot of energy because the total mass is slightly less than the original. This energy is then radiated into space where it provides light to the solar system. Nuclear reactions are the same reactions that are used in thermonuclear bombs around the world.
Why is this important? Scientists around the world have been studying for decades trying to make a fusion reactor; a device that could contain and control a nuclear fusion reaction to produce vast amounts of cheap and clean energy. Although this may seem scary to some, nuclear fusion is inherently safe. Due to plasma having to be kept at extremely hot temperatures while contained in a magnetic field, any shift in temperature or environment would cause it to cool down or leave containment; in this case, it would immediately come to a halt due to the loss of a power supply. Even thermonuclear bombs require a fission reaction in order to explode using a fusion reaction, and this amount of energy would never be given to a fusion reactor due to the mere fact it is not necessary and rather inefficient.
Scientists at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) predict that (relatively small) fusion reactors will be able to produce 500 megawatts of power a day, rivaling a nuclear power plant. This is the amount of power needed to provide constant electricity to over 800 homes! Although this may not seem like much, the average coal plant only produces 600 megawatts of power a day, and with fusion power being nearly completely environmentally friendly, it seems like a hopeful way to advance towards a more sustainable and environmentally neutral future.