washington
Many countries of the world are currently engaged in making ‘fake sun’. If all goes according to plan, Virginia could install the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant by the early 2030s. This plant will generate electricity by harnessing the clean energy of the future. Startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) announced this on Tuesday. CFS is one of the largest and best-known nuclear fusion companies. It will invest billions of dollars in building a facility.
When operational the plant will be able to connect with the grid and produce 400 MW. According to company CEO Bob Mumgaard, this is enough to power about 150,000 homes. “This will be the first time fusion power will be made available at grid scale in the world,” he said. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin welcomed the announcement, calling it a historic moment for Virginia and the world.
How is energy created?
This plant will represent a new phase in the pursuit of commercializing nuclear fusion. Other stars like our Sun get strength only through nuclear fusion. But the path in this direction is still not easy. The world is in dire need of a clean and abundant energy source that can replace fossil fuels.
The technology of nuclear fusion makes such a promise. In this, energy is generated through fusion from atomic particles. Hydrogen is used in this. A donut shaped machine called Tokamak is used for this process.
what is the benefit
Fusion energy is virtually unlimited, it does not heat the environment and does not release radioactive waste like currently used fission techniques. However, taking it from research projects to commercial use has proven extremely challenging. CFS said fusion doesn’t happen overnight. This startup, established separately from MIT in 2018, has raised more than $ 2 billion so far. They claim that they are making rapid progress.
