Fusion as energy source debated

Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun and the stars, is a potentially viable solution to the global energy challenge, and is an alternative that must be fully explored, industry experts say. In the wake of the June 2005 announcement that the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor will be constructed in Caradache, France, interest in fusion research has increased significantly, yet the process remains controversial.

With global energy use expected to rise 60 percent by 2030, the dependency on fossil fuels, which now provide 80 percent of world energy, is unsustainable. This dilemma has fueled a search for alternatives and fusion is often identified as a lead player. “I am completely confident that we will be using fusion,” said David Ward, a fusion physicist at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Association’s Culham Science Center. “The question is the timescale in which we do it.”

UPI