| Project Detail |
Nuclear fusion could provide humankind with an unlimited supply of clean, safe and sustainable energy, which would mean forgetting about the dire effects of fossil fuels. However, after almost a century of billion-dollar investments in nuclear fusion research, continuous fusion reactions have not been achieved yet due to the extremely challenging scientific and technical barriers that must be overcome. The performance of a fusion power plant is fundamentally dependent on the quality of confinement. For the confinement to be effective, it must satisfy two crucial criteria: 1) Stability and 2) The ability to maintain plasma over time with negligible leakage. Building upon the revolutionary mirror fusion concept by Novatron, which inherently stabilizes the plasma, the Tau-E Breakthrough project (TauEB) is designed to provide essential plasma plugs. These plugs are crucial for confining the plasma over an extended period, making it scalable to a fusion reactor that generates energy at a competitive Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). This radically new design will make it possible to bring nuclear fusion technology to the commercial stage in record time, thus changing our lives not only by creating a multi-billion euro market, but above all by providing great social, environmental, economic and geopolitical benefits. To successfully achieve the project’s goals and maximise the impact of its results, we have brought together a multidisciplinary consortium combining the deep knowledge of KTH, KIPT and UKAEA in different complementary fields of nuclear fusion research (magnetic confinement, plasma stability, advanced simulation methods, radio frequency plasma heating, ponderomotive plugging and diagnostics), NFG’s revolutionary Novatron concept and its outstanding technological implementation skills (system design, mechanical design, instrumentation and plasma diagnostics), and IE’s outstanding innovation and exploitation management advice. |
