The state-owned VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has joined an ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy) programme aimed at accelerating the commercial use of fusion energy.
The work will focus on solving the challenges of materials needed in extreme conditions, which are a bottleneck in the commercialisation of fusion energy. The programme is funded by the US Department of Energy and has not previously involved foreign research teams.
In early October, VTT signed a cooperation agreement with the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Two years ago, the same laboratory succeeded in an experiment that was hailed as a breakthrough in fusion energy production.
Anssi Laukkanen, Research Professor at VTT, said the Finnish agency is excited about the project.
"I guess you could say that we've now assembled the best team to solve the problem," Laukkanen said.
Expertise is definitely needed. Harnessing fusion energy has been a long-time dream, but so far practical application has been elusive.
"Fusion energy is considered the 'holy grail' of clean energy, but issues with material durability have slowed breakthroughs for decades," Laukkanen explained in a VTT press release on Wednesday.
Nuclear fusion produces energy with virtually no greenhouse emissions. There is also an unlimited supply of the necessary fuel, hydrogen.
The problems that need to be overcome relate in particular to the extreme conditions that arise in the fusion process. According to Laukkanen, the process is like creating a "little sun". Its heat and radiation have so far been too extreme for reactor shielding materials.
"The conditions are pretty horrible for today's technologies," he added.
If fusion energy is to be used commercially, reactors must withstand extreme temperatures and radiation for several years.
Fusion energy by the 2030s?
Laukkanen is hopeful, however, that a durable shielding material will be found.
"We are looking to develop a new material, or actually several materials, that could survive in the first wall of fusion reactors," he said.
The sector has made progress in recent years, he added, with artificial intelligence playing a key role. It is precisely AI-based simulation methods that have been VTT's area of expertise and the reason why it was invited to participate in the project.
"The traditional process of developing new materials can take decades. VTT's simulation and AI technologies shorten the development cycles to months, allowing us to quickly discover, optimise and create case-specific materials tailored to a specific need," Laukkanen explained.
This in turn will speed up the development of fusion reactors and bring fusion energy closer to becoming a reality. The most optimistic forecasts envision fusion-produced energy flowing into conventional electricity grids as early as during the next decade.
"Commercial players are promising applications that could be 5-10 years away," Laukkanen said.
If successful, fusion energy could revolutionise energy production and help solve global climate challenges.
"Think of sustainability challenges, climate change and green industrial processes. All of these are highly dependent on having emission-free energy sources that can grind out energy 24/7, year after year, without interruption," Laukkanen pointed out.
The creation of commercially viable fusion reactors would also understandably be a massive business opportunity. According to the VTT institute, success in even one area of this research could have an economic impact greater than Finland's GDP.
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