A nuclear fusion power plant in the United States has been announced and may connect to the grid in 2030

Washington: Many countries of the world are currently involved in the “fake sun” industry. If all goes according to plan, Virginia could install the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant by the early 2030s. This plant will generate electricity by harnessing clean energy for the future. Startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) made the announcement on Tuesday. CFS is one of the largest and most well-known nuclear fusion companies. Billions of dollars will be invested in building the facility, and when operational, the plant will be able to connect to the grid and generate 400 megawatts. According to the company’s CEO Bob Mumgaard, this is enough to power about 150,000 homes. “This will be the first time fusion energy has been provided at grid scale in the world,” he said. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin welcomed the announcement, calling it a historic moment for Virginia and the world.

How is energy created?

This plant will represent a new stage in the quest to commercialize nuclear fusion. Other stars like our Sun get power only through nuclear fusion. But the path in this direction is still not easy. The world is in desperate need of a clean and abundant energy source that can replace fossil fuels.

Nuclear fusion technology offers such promise. In this, energy is generated through fusion of atomic particles. Hydrogen is used in this. A donut-shaped machine called a tokamak is used for this process.

What’s the point?

The energy of fusion is almost unlimited, it does not heat the environment and does not release radioactive waste like fission techniques currently used. However, transferring it from research projects to commercial use has proven to be very challenging. CFS said the merger doesn’t happen overnight. The startup, which was founded separately from MIT in 2018, has raised more than $2 billion to date. They claim they are making rapid progress.