Aneutronic Fusion promises to be the truly long-term solution to a global industrial economy powered by clean energy. Dr. Warren McKenzie, Managing Director, HB11 Energy, shares more details about this emerging technology.
Here’s a preview of the Oil, Gas & Power Magazine article, September 2024 issue…
The Promise of Aneutronic Fusion
The quest for a sustainable energy source that can scale with ever-increasing global demand has driven innovation for decades. As the world grapples with crises of climate change, environmental degradation, and energy security, aneutronic fusion has come into the spotlight, promising abundant energy without the pitfalls of radioactive waste, heavy resource and land use, and pollution. Unlike uranium-based fission or tritium-fueled fusion systems, aneutronic fusion isn’t just another stepping stone— it promises to be the truly long-term solution to a global industrial economy powered by clean energy.
And yet, aneutronic fusion is not yet the mainstream option for investors and developers. The appeal of easier-to-achieve (though still profoundly impressive) lab results and the historical technology overlap with national nuclear weapons programs have led to an enduring focus on tritium-based fusion. Nonetheless, it is expected that aneutronic fusion will become the focus of private and public efforts. This will be driven by needs and by capabilities: Needs, because for fusion to power the global economy it must be globally deployable; and capabilities because the exponential improvement in laser cost and performance is rapidly bringing fusion-level performance into practical reality.
