Unlocking clean energy

Fusion offers a promising clean energy solution since the process is carbon free, inherently safe, and produces continuous, unlimited fuel. The IAEA has supported fusion research and development from the beginning, organizing the first international conference on fusion energy in 1961. More recently, breakthroughs in fusion research have accelerated development in both the public and private sectors. Building on this progress, the IAEA fosters international collaboration and coordination to bridge gaps in the physics, technology and regulation of fusion. This includes collecting and sharing data to support all phases of fusion research, from the science of the fusion process to plant design and operation.

“Fusion technology has the potential to transform global energy production,” said Aline des Cloizeaux, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Power. “Fusion energy together with the deployment of advanced nuclear fission will ensure a sustainable clean energy transition.”

Fusion is fuelled by light isotopes, which form a plasma — a hot, charged gas with unique properties distinct from solids, liquids and gases. CollisionDB, an IAEA database for atomic and molecular processes, supports advances in plasma operational scenarios and diagnostics, increasing understanding of plasma collisional processes.

Other IAEA databases contribute to the operation and optimization of experimental devices and future fusion plants. The plasma-wall interaction database (pwiDB) contains data on interactions with the surface of the inner wall, while CascadesDB and DeFecTdb collect data on processes within the wall. The Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (FENDL) holds essential nuclear reaction data for neutronics concerning plasma and materials, which are crucial for safety and waste assessments.

Scientists and engineers around the world continue to develop and test new materials and design new technologies to produce net fusion energy. While experiments routinely achieve conditions very close to those required for a fusion energy system, improvements are still needed to maintain the reaction and produce energy in a sustained manner. Public and private fusion organizations are rapidly making advances toward this goal.

The IAEA’s Fusion Device Information System (FusDIS) provides a global overview and technical data and statistics on public and private fusion devices in operation, under construction or in planning. It offers useful guidance for fusion energy strategies and decision making, as well as public-private collaboration, and it is a valuable tool for identifying research trends. FusDIS can be found on the IAEA Fusion Portal, a resource hub for information on the Agency’s fusion activities.

The IAEA is also developing FUSE, on the Agency’s CONNECT platform, to assist developers of fusion technology during the design, manufacturing and construction of fusion plants. It will include a database on fusion codes and standards, as well as a fusion technologies and fuel cycles database with information and specific parameters for each device in development. FUSE will raise awareness of the latest developments, such as spin-off technologies, in the rapidly evolving fusion sector.

“Artificial intelligence is a new key for unlocking the full potential of fusion. It offers potentially significant benefits for managing the entire engineering process of fusion devices as well as analysing the huge amount of scientific and engineering data such facilities will produce,” said Alain Becoulet, Deputy Director General and Chief Scientist at the ITER Organization. “To achieve this potential, we need dedicated platforms for managing fusion data in the same cooperative spirit that has been driving fusion research for decades. This is crucial to accelerating the deployment of fusion energy.”

An IAEA coordinated research project, AI for Fusion (AI4F), aims to do just that. AI4F is fostering innovation and collaboration to drive fusion breakthroughs by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and big data technologies. Twenty-four institutions in 11 countries on 4 continents are participating. “AI and machine learning can accelerate fusion research on the path towards a first-of-its-kind pilot plant,” said Cristina Rea, Principal Research Scientist and Group Leader at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center. “The IAEA has become a steward for this mission,” she said.

“Harnessing fusion energy represents the pinnacle of science and engineering achievement,” said Tzanka Kokalova-Wheldon, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences. “The IAEA is providing essential data, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering partnerships to help develop and scale up the ultimate clean energy source.”

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Fusion is the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy. The sun and all other stars are powered by a similar process. On Earth, temperatures of over 100 million degrees Celsius are needed to achieve fusion, and pressure and magnetic forces must be regulated to maintain the process long enough to produce net energy.