U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry announced on Tuesday a groundbreaking international initiative aimed at advancing nuclear fusion technology as a crucial weapon in the battle against climate change.
Kerry revealed that the plan while addressing the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, which involves 35 nations, will concentrate on critical aspects such as research and development, addressing supply chain challenges, and enhancing regulations and safety measures.
Kerry expressed optimism, stating, “There is potential in fusion to revolutionize our world.”
Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, can be recreated on Earth using lasers or magnets to fuse light atoms, generating substantial energy without harmful emissions.
While fusion offers the promise of abundant, clean power without the long-lasting radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission, challenges loom on the path to commercial electricity production.
Currently, scientists have only achieved sporadic instances where fusion experiments yield more energy than is invested. Additionally, obstacles such as regulatory complexities, construction issues, and site selection pose hurdles to replacing parts of existing energy systems with new fleets of fusion power plants.
Highlighting international cooperation, Kerry mentioned that on November 8, Britain and the United States signed a collaboration agreement on fusion. Noteworthy global players in the pursuit of fusion energy include Australia, China, Germany, and Japan.
This collaborative effort signals a significant step forward in the global pursuit of fusion energy, offering hope for a sustainable and cleaner future.
