The case for fusion energy

The author advocates for a shift from gargantuan fusion projects like ITER toward smaller, compact designs. By utilizing high temperature superconductors (HTS) in spherical tokamaks, the author suggests that fusion can be transformed from a 'moonshot' into a series of manageable engineering challenges. The text highlights the potential for private investment and start-ups to accelerate the development of fusion as a carbon-free energy source to complement renewables.

• Fusion energy is presented as an ideal long-term energy source that complements renewables because it produces no CO2 emissions, carries no risk of meltdown, and generates no long-lived radioactive waste.
• While the JET tokamak achieved 16MW of fusion power in 1997, progress has since slowed due to the immense size and resulting delays of its successor, ITER.
• Compact fusion has significant economic potential; Lockheed Martin indicated in 2013 that such technology could meet the global electricity consumption of 44,000,000 GWh per year by 2045, with a projected annual value of $2.2 trillion at prices of 5 cents per kWh.
• Spherical tokamaks offer advantages in compactness and magnetic field efficiency over conventional doughnut-shaped tokamaks. The use of high temperature superconductors (HTS) allows for high-field magnets that resolve previous engineering constraints regarding space and cooling in the center of the device.
• Tokamak Energy is utilizing expertise in England's Thames Valley—specifically from Culham Laboratory and companies like Oxford Instruments and Siemens Magnet Technology—to develop a low power (~100MWe) tokamak with high power gain.

APA

Kingham, D. (2015). The case for fusion energy. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/emerging-technologies/the-case-for-fusion-energy/

Chicago

Kingham, David. The case for fusion energy. World Economic Forum, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/stories/emerging-technologies/the-case-for-fusion-energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kingham |first1=David |title=The case for fusion energy |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=8 September 2015 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/emerging-technologies/the-case-for-fusion-energy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kingham2015case, author = {Kingham, David}, title = {{The case for fusion energy}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/emerging-technologies/the-case-for-fusion-energy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }