JET TokamakThe JET tokamak. Credit UKAEA

New Fusion Energy milestone achieved by JET Tokamak, producing a record-breaking 69 megajoules of heat.

British scientists achieved a breakthrough in fusion energy production at the JET Tokamak facility. Using a donut-shaped tokamak, they generated a record-breaking 69 megajoules for five seconds, surpassing the previous record by 10 megajoules.

This advancement brings us closer to harnessing fusion, the same process powering the sun, as a clean energy solution. The experiment, involving just 0.2 milligrams of fuel, engaged over 300 researchers from EUROfusion.

JET Tokamak gifThe JET tokamak. Credit UKAEA

By heating deuterium and tritium isotopes, they created plasma at temperatures ten times hotter than the sun’s core, marking a significant milestone in fusion energy research.

Ian Chapman, UKAEA CEO, said:

“JET has operated as close to power-plant conditions as is possible with today’s facilities, and its legacy will be pervasive in all future powerplants.

JET’s research findings have critical implications not only for ITER – a fusion research mega-project being built in the south of France – but also for … other global fusion projects, pursuing a future of safe, low-carbon, and sustainable energy.”

source Euro-Fusion