US to reveal 'scientific breakthrough' amid fusion energy reports

A California-based laboratory produced a 120 percent net energy gain from a fusion reaction, the first time more energy was produced than consumed during the process, the Financial Times reports.

Nuclear fusion is considered by some scientists to be a potential energy of the future, particularly as it produces little waste and no greenhouse gases.
AP

Nuclear fusion is considered by some scientists to be a potential energy of the future, particularly as it produces little waste and no greenhouse gases.

The US Department of Energy has said it will announce a "major scientific breakthrough" this week, after media reported a federal laboratory had recently achieved a major milestone in nuclear fusion research.

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that scientists in the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had achieved a "net energy gain" from an experimental fusion reactor.

That would represent the first time that researchers have successfully produced more energy in a fusion reaction — the same type that powers the Sun —  than was consumed during the process, a potentially major step in the pursuit of zero-carbon power.

Energy Department and LLNL spokespeople said they could not comment or provide confirmation regarding the FT report, but said US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm would "announce a major scientific breakthrough" on Tuesday.

The LLNL spokesperson added that their "analysis is still ongoing."

"We look forward to sharing more on Tuesday when that process is complete," she said.

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AP

This illustration provided by the LLNL depicts a target pellet inside a hohlraum capsule with laser beams entering through openings on either end, which compress and heat the target to the necessary conditions for nuclear fusion to occur.

'Only a matter of time'

The fusion reaction that produced a 120 percent net energy gain occurred in the past two weeks, the FT said, citing three people with knowledge of the preliminary results.

The Washington Post later reported two people familiar with the research confirmed the development, with a senior fusion scientist telling the newspaper, "To most of us, this was only a matter of time."

Nuclear fusion is considered by some scientists to be a potential energy of the future, particularly as it produces little waste and no greenhouse gases.

Fusion differs from fission, the technique currently used in nuclear power plants, by fusing two atomic nuclei instead of splitting one.

The LLNL fusion facility consists of almost 200 lasers the size of three football fields, which bombard a tiny spot with high levels of energy to initiate a fusion reaction.

"If this fusion energy breakthrough is true, it could be a game changer for the world," tweeted Ted Lieu, a member of Congress from California.

READ MORE:Everything we know about China’s ‘artificial sun’

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