New Delhi:Japan has unveiled the world’s largest operational experimental nuclear fusion reactor, JT-60SA, in a hangar north of Tokyo in Naka. Representing a pivotal moment in the quest for clean and limitless power, this six-story-high tokamak aims to explore the viability of fusion as a secure, expansive, and carbon-neutral net energy source.
Unlike traditional nuclear fission used in power plants, which splits atomic nuclei, fusion mimics the sun’s energy production by merging two nuclei. The JT-60SA is designed to contain and control plasma heated to a staggering 200 million degrees Celsius.
This joint venture between the European Union and Japan serves as a precursor to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) currently under construction in France. Both projects share the ambitious goal of achieving net energy gain from fusion.
Sam Davis, the deputy project leader, highlighted the collaborative effort involving over 500 scientists, engineers, and 70 companies from Europe and Japan. EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson hailed the reactor as “the most advanced tokamak in the world,” projecting that fusion could become a central component of the global energy mix later this century.
Fusion energy stands out for its safety advantages over fission, carrying no risk of catastrophic accidents and generating minimal radioactive waste. As nations seek clean, unlimited power to combat climate change, the JT-60SA’s progress offers a glimpse into a future where this could be a reality.
