Nuclear fission and fusion reactors do not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and play a major role in mitigating climate change. Introduction. Energy is
Fusion energy releases no greenhouse gasses, and a power plant could be built anywhere. The main fuel source, hydrogen, is readily found in
# In a nutshell: Can nuclear fusion help save the climate? Nuclear fusion holds the promise of delivering climate-friendly, safe, and virtually limitless energy. Fusion still faces significant technical hurdles and is expected to remain costly, which could severely limit its use in a world powered mainly by renewables. This factsheet breaks down the key facts about nuclear fusion. *This factsheet is part of our* *series about frontier climate technologies**. For more details on nuclear fusion, check out our in-depth* *Q&A: Nuclear fusion - Hype or hope for a cooler planet?**, our interview**Europe must build on nuclear fusion headstart to complement renewables – startup**, as well as the article* *Investors bet record €130mln on German fusion startup Proxima**.*. Fusion occurs when two atoms merge to form a heavier one. ## Q&A: Nuclear fusion - Hype or hope for a cooler planet? ## Nuclear fusion cannot balance fluctuating renewables - German parliament report. Drop CLEW a line for background material and contacts.
The nuclear fusion process involves the reaction between light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing significant amounts of energy in the process. The fusion process produces far less radioactive material than fission reactors, and the by-products generated are less damaging biologically. Since fusion requires precisely controlled conditions of temperature, pressure, and magnetic field parameters in order to generate net energy, there is no danger of any catastrophic radioactive accident, as heat generation in a fusion reactor would quickly stop if any of these parameters were disrupted by a reactor malfunction. Because of the generation of high-energy neutrons in the deuterium-tritium reaction, the typical structural materials of fusion reactors, such as stainless steel or titanium, tantalum, and niobium alloys, will become radioactive when bombarded by the neutrons. Several deuterium-tritium fusion reactors using the tokamak design have been built as test devices, but none of them produce more thermal energy than the electrical energy consumed.
I think many people are treating nuclear fusions as the holy grail to end all energy problems. However something that seems to be problematic for me.
Nuclear energy is low-carbon and can be deployed on a large scale at the timescale required, supplying the world with clean, reliable, and affordable electricity.**. Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life-cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar. Experts have concluded that in order to achieve the deep decarbonization required to keep the average rise in global temperatures to below 1.5°C, combating climate change would be much harder, without an increased role for nuclear. In around 15 years, nuclear power went from playing a minor role in the French electricity system to producing the majority of its electricity, showing that nuclear energy can be expanded at the speed required to effectively combat climate change.
In December of 2022, the National Ignition Facility announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology: for the first time, a nuclear fusion reaction created a net gain of energy. In December, the National Ignition Facility announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology: for the first time, a nuclear fusion reaction created a net gain of energy, and since that reaction doesn’t emit carbon or other pollutants, a lot of people have proclaimed that we are one major step closer to achieving “the holy grail of clean energy.” Guys: this is it. But for nuclear fusion technology, people have suggested the breakthrough opens up the door for these reactors to become more efficient, and one day, supply the world with limitless clean energy. If we copy-paste the timeline of the development of solar panels and wind turbines, we’d be looking over a century into the future before nuclear fusion enters the mainstream, and that whole time, these other clean energy sources would theoretically be improving too.
**CLICK HERE** to register for the 3rd Public-Private Fusion Workshop at ITER (28-29 April 2026). # Advantages of fusion. **Millions of years**: Fusion in ITER will require two elements: deuterium and tritium. (Terrestrial reserves of lithium would permit the operation of fusion power plants for more than 1,000 years, while sea-based reserves of lithium, used in a fusion reactor in its Li-6 isotope form, would fulfil needs for millions of years.) A critical challenge is how to breed and recover tritium reliably in a fusion device. (Radioactive tritium is neither a fissile nor a fissionable material.) There are no enriched materials in a fusion reactor like ITER that could be exploited to make nuclear weapons. As a new source of carbon-free baseload electricity, producing no long-lived radioactive waste, fusion could make a positive contribution to the challenges of resource availability, reduced carbon emissions, and fission waste disposal and safety issues. ### What is Fusion? ITER is charting new territory in fusion research.