Fusion Reactor a Go!
Thursday May 25, 2006
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), discussed earlier this week, received approval for construction, according to an article in New Scientist magazine.
The ITER was approved on Wednesday by the European Union, United States, Russia, Japan, India, China, and the Republic of Korea, the nations involved in funding the project. Construction will begin in 2008 and is estimated to take 10 years. The reactor will be located in Cadarache, (southern) France. The New Scientist article gives a cost of $13 billion (which is significantly more than $5.5 billion reported in the earlier Nature article).
While the project certainly has challenges to overcome, this level of international cooperation on a scientific endeavor, especially one that could reap such magnificent benefits for the world's energy needs, is certainly heartening to all of those with a desire for scientific progress.
Comments
I think that nuclear fusion is the energy of the furure. hydrogen is abundant, it powers our sun, and it produces no waste products other than helium which can be used in various ways. Nuclear fusion is the holy grail of fuel production today.