U.K. Science Minister George Freeman said that the research is 'making fusion power a reality.'
Nuclear fusion reactions are generated by the lab in a specialized machine called a tokamak, which uses electromagnetic fields to control the atoms. The largest tokamak of its kind is the one found at the JET.
This is due to the instability of a fission reaction, as well as fission's propensity to create significantly more radioactive waste, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency . A record-breaking fusion reaction was generated at a laboratory in the United Kingdom in December. While fusion as a mainstay power source remains decades away, scientists lauded the achievement as a step toward a safer and more cost-efficient form of fuel. Here, the nuclear tokamak that generated the reaction can be seen.However, fusion reactions are difficult to sustain for long periods, and as a result, advancements in its use as a long-term power solution have been slow.
"These milestone results are testament to the UK's role as a global leader in fusion energy research," said George Freeman, the British Minister for Science, Research and Innovation."They are evidence that the ground-breaking research and innovation being done here in the UK, and via collaboration with our partners across Europe, is making fusion power a reality."
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