Fusion power plants are sites at which electricity could be generated via a process known as nuclear fusion, which entails the merging of two atomic nuclei into a single heavier nucleus. This process is known to generate very high amounts of energy, such as the energy required to light up the sun and other stars, yet its potential for the production of electricity has yet to be demonstrated.
Fusion power plants are often mentioned in political and environmental debates, with some claiming that they could eventually help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy sector and reduce the cost of electricity. However, building these power plants will likely be very expensive, and the extent to which they could be used to source electricity on a large scale remains poorly understood.
Researchers at ETH Zurich recently carried out a study aimed at further exploring the cost-effectiveness of two established fusion approaches, called magnetic fusion and inertial fusion. Their paper, published in Nature Energy, suggests that the costs of fusion technology will very likely decrease slower than earlier works predicted. Thus, fusion power plants might ultimately fail to compete with other renewable energy solutions.
Uh oh.
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