It has been there for many decades. The answer to the question of when power offusion would arrive was like a joke within a recurring joke. It was always 10-20 years away. Marketing may now be the best way to market it.
Later.
This phrase may sound familiar because it was written over ten years ago. Fusion research has been simmering since decades. It’s now boiling over, and there is plenty of evidence that this will change.
In the second half of this decade, there has been a lot of progress in fusion research for a field that has existed for more than 60 year. Researchers set new records in terms of the time it takes to contain super-hot plasma necessary for fusion. The magnets that can hold this plasma are stronger and more efficient. Each fusion experiment has produced more energy, and is now closer to the point when the reactors can produce more energy than they consume. This is called the break-even point.
“The same reason that you are excited about fusion right now is the reason you were excited about computers in 1940s when someone invented the transistor.” Phil Larochelle is Awesome Energy Ventures Partner
It was almost as if the race for fusion research was a race. But the competing groups weren’t sure where they were. They all finally realized the finish line. Reactors produce so much energy they eat it all up.
Investors are ecstatic by these results and bet big that a merger can soon erase the ghosts from the past. According TechCrunch’s analysis, Fusion startups have raised $2.7Billion in the past year, TechCrunch’s analysis based on PitchBook data.
At first glance, this sudden rush to progress through many different approaches might seem absurd. It is not the typical story of a single genius solving the problem. It does however suggest that it is time to consolidate forces.
Is fusion at an inflection? Eric Ton, the technical chair of Breakthrough Energy Ventures’ investment committee, said: “We completely believe so.”
Breakthrough is one the few investors to have placed large bets on the possibility of the merger being a reality. Breakthrough, which was started by Bill Gates, joined Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ $1.8 B Series B last year. This was its third investment in this startup. (Gates also participated in that round. In July, Chevron and Google led the $250 million Series G of TAE Systems. This company has been in existence since 1998. Sam Altman, the leader of Helion Energy, raised $500 million last fiscal year. Zap Energy has closed a $160million round earlier in the year.
This is a lot of money on unproven technology. Of course, the power of fusion cannot be achieved – the sun’s power is beyond human control. However, the three recent technological advancements suggest that we are getting closer than ever. This madness can be explained using a concept from evolutionary biology, a completely different field of study.
Originally published at Brisbane News Station
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