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The Inquiry: Will nuclear fusion solve our energy problems forever?

Will nuclear fusion solve our energy problems forever?

25/08/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Will nuclear fusion solve our energy problems forever?

How close are scientists to making the dream of nuclear fusion a reality?

It powers the sun and promises unlimited, almost clean energy, but can we make nuclear fusion power stations a reality?

It’s nearly a century since it was discovered that the sun and other stars are powered by nuclear fusion. It’s when hydrogen atoms merge to form helium, and release huge amounts of energy. 

Since then, scientists have dreamed of reproducing the process here on Earth, with one Nobel Laureate calling it “the sun in a box”.  

It holds the promise of virtually limitless energy, with few emissions and waste. But recreating the conditions where fusion can take place are a vast engineering challenge. So how close are we to having a working reactor powered by fusion? And will the process solve all our energy problems? 

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham

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Will nuclear fusion solve our energy problems forever?

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