World’s first nuclear fusion plant being built in US to power Microsoft data centers

[Chock Full o Nuts]

Construction of world's 1st nuclear fusion plant starts in Washington

Helion Energy aims to produce low-cost, clean electric energy from the Washington-based fusion plant by 2028.

interestingengineering.com

A Washington-based company has started the construction of a nuclear fusion facility in Chelan County, Orion. Helion Energy aims to produce low-cost, clean electric energy using a fuel derived from water.

The plan is to produce electricity from fusion by 2028 and supply the power to Microsoft data centres.

Helion will continue to work through the remaining steps in the permitting process to construct and operate a commercial fusion power plant on the site.

Shouldn't all the ducks be in a row first before breaking ground on such a thing.

With its previous prototype, Trenta, Helion was the first private company to achieve a fuel temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius (180000032 degrees Fahrenheit), which is generally considered the required operating temperature for a commercial fusion power plant.

That's hot!

Fusion generates electricity by ramming atoms into each other, releasing energy without emitting significant greenhouse gases or creating large amounts of long-lasting radioactive waste. But despite billions of dollars of investment, scientists and engineers still have not figured out a way to reliably generate more energy with fusion than it takes to create and sustain the reaction,

I thought that was still the case. So they are building something that is going to use more energy than they will get out of it? Makes perfect sense.
I assume this 'derived from water' is smashing hydrogen molecules together?

 

[Peacenik]

Why don't they just put up a bunch of solar panels. Oh yeah. Most of them now have a giant import tax. Ouch.

 

[Loulit01]

Construction of world's 1st nuclear fusion plant starts in Washington

Helion Energy aims to produce low-cost, clean electric energy from the Washington-based fusion plant by 2028.

interestingengineering.com

Shouldn't all the ducks be in a row first before breaking ground on such a thing.


That's hot!


I thought that was still the case. So they are building something that is going to use more energy than they will get out of it? Makes perfect sense.
I assume this 'derived from water' is smashing hydrogen molecules together?

Rain follows the plow.

 

[TypicalRussian]

Is there any serious argument to be had against nuclear energy?

 

[Hari Seldon]

Why don't they just put up a bunch of solar panels. Oh yeah. Most of them now have a giant import tax. Ouch.

Love ny 11 year old solar panels!

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Construction of world's 1st nuclear fusion plant starts in Washington

Helion Energy aims to produce low-cost, clean electric energy from the Washington-based fusion plant by 2028.

interestingengineering.com

Shouldn't all the ducks be in a row first before breaking ground on such a thing.


That's hot!


I thought that was still the case. So they are building something that is going to use more energy than they will get out of it? Makes perfect sense.
I assume this 'derived from water' is smashing hydrogen molecules together?

Yes it is.