Western nuclear fusion industry leaders are gathering in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strategies for increasing research funding, Reuters reported on Wednesday. This comes in an effort to keep pace with China in the race to develop and construct commercially viable reactors. President Joe Biden recently signed a funding bill that allocates $790 million to fusion science programmes in 2024; however, this falls short of the over $1 billion that supporters believe is necessary. Scientists, governments, and companies around the world are pursuing fusion, the nuclear reaction that powers the sun, as a source of carbon-free electricity. This process, which involves using heat and pressure to fuse two light atoms into a denser one, releases significant amounts of energy. Unlike fission-based plants that split atoms, future commercial fusion plants would not generate long-lasting radioactive waste. Fusion Industry Association (FIA) CEO Andrew Holland voiced concerns about the US fusion industry potentially mirroring the solar industry, where manufacturing shifted to China despite US technological advancements. Holland stressed the need for the US to counter China's ambitions in supply chain and development. Fusion research gained traction last year following a breakthrough at California's Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Holland anticipates fusion will contribute to the power grid within a decade, a timeline viewed as optimistic by some, including physicist and former Nuclear Regulatory Commission commissioner Victor Gilinsky. Despite these hurdles, Holland insists that investing in fusion research is crucial in the fight against climate change and won't hinder the rollout of other clean energy technologies.
