Unlimited energy is on the horizon: the first nuclear fusion power plant in the world will be built in the USA (photos included).

The American company Commonwealth Fusion Systems is set to construct the world's first nuclear fusion power plant in Virginia, USA. This power plant will generate fusion energy, which is the same energy that powers stars, including our Sun, as reported by New Atlas.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems has selected a 40.5-hectare site in Virginia, USA, for the construction of the world's first nuclear fusion power plant named ARC. This facility is expected to continuously produce 400 megawatts of clean and virtually limitless energy starting in the early 2030s.

In conventional nuclear reactors, electricity generation occurs through the fission of atomic nuclei. However, in fusion reactors, the process involves the synthesis or merging of atomic nuclei. This results in the release of four times more energy than nuclear fission. The fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium occurs in the cores of stars, including the Sun. When nuclear fusion ceases due to a lack of hydrogen, stars die.

Nuclear reactors generate hazardous radioactive waste as a byproduct of electricity production. In contrast, fusion reactors that utilize hydrogen isotopes tritium and deuterium produce safe helium. Therefore, fusion energy is considered clean and virtually limitless.

Only at the end of 2022 did American physicists manage, for the first time during an experiment, to produce more energy from nuclear fusion than was consumed to initiate the process. Since then, scientists around the world have gradually improved the results of nuclear fusion energy generation, although it is still considered premature to discuss industrial-scale production of fusion energy.

Earlier this year, researchers from South Korea achieved the stabilization of plasma for 48 seconds in the experimental nuclear fusion reactor KSTAR. This marks a significant breakthrough in the quest for nuclear fusion energy.

To initiate and maintain nuclear fusion in a reactor, plasma heated to approximately 100 million degrees Celsius must be kept stable. While the plasma in the Sun's core is held in place by the immense gravity of our star, a nuclear fusion reactor requires very strong magnets to generate a powerful magnetic field. Any disruption in the operational process will cause the plasma to cool rapidly, halting nuclear fusion.

The ARC power plant will utilize a toroidal fusion reactor of the tokamak type, named SPARC. This reactor will feature extremely strong magnets and will be capable of maintaining hot plasma in a stable state to support nuclear fusion. Tritium is planned to be used as fuel.

The Commonwealth Fusion Systems company has stated that their nuclear fusion power plant, which does not produce radioactive waste, will be able to provide clean energy for 150,000 homes. Calculations indicate that one gram of tritium can produce as much energy as 9 tons of coal used in thermal power plants.

However, there are still challenges to overcome, particularly concerning the need for robust protection for the reactor's interior, which could be compromised by the hot plasma. Additionally, achieving prolonged stability of the plasma within the reactor is essential.

If everything goes according to plan, large-scale production of limitless and clean nuclear fusion energy could soon become a reality.