JT-60SA: World’s biggest nuclear fusion reactor

Source– This post is based on the article “World’s biggest nuclear fusion reactor opens in huge boost for ‘holy grail’ of clean energy” published in “The Independent” on 7th December 2023.

Why in the News?

JT-60SA, the world’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion reactor started its official operations in Japan, marking a major milestone towards achieving the goal of clean energy.

What is JT-60SA?

1) JT-60SA is a joint initiative between the European Union and Japan aiming to investigate the feasibility of nuclear fusion as a sustainable and near limitless power source.

2) The JT-60SA reactor is a six-storey-high machine, which is kept in a hangar in Naka, north of Tokyo. It comprises a doughnut-shaped “tokamak” vessel set to contain the swirling plasma heated up to 200 million degrees Celsius. 

3) One of the main objectives of this project is to replicate nuclear fusion ignition (net surplus energy), a feat first achieved by scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

4) The net energy gain was achieved by using lasers to fuse together two light atoms into a single denser one, releasing high amounts of energy. This net energy gain allows the nuclear fusion reaction to become self-sustaining.

4) A similar even bigger nuclear fusion reactor is currently under construction in France, and is expected to begin operations in 2025.

What is the Significance of Nuclear Fusion Energy?

1) Sustainable clean energy source– It does not produce carbon dioxide – making it an important technology in the path to net zero emissions.

2) No long-lived radioactive waste– It stops when the fuel supply or power source is shut down. It generates no high-level long-lived radioactive waste.

3) Limited risk of proliferation– Fusion doesn’t employ fissile materials like uranium and plutonium.

4) Near limitless power source– Since nuclear fusion energy runs on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, it’s considered virtually limitless in its production potential, unlike the limited fossil fuels and other intermittent renewable energy sources.

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