US scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced on Tuesday that they had achieved a “major scientific breakthrough” in the field of nuclear fusion, in a development they described as a “historic achievement”.
The lab revealed in a tweet that an experiment it conducted this month “produced, through nuclear fusion, an increased amount of energy” used in lasers to start the reaction.
The US Department of Energy has described the initiation of fusion ignition as a “major scientific breakthrough” that would lead to “development in the fields of national defense and the future of clean energy.”
Scientists have worked for decades to develop nuclear fusion, which its proponents describe as a clean, abundant and safe source of energy that could eventually allow humanity to end its dependence on the fossil fuels that are causing the crisis. global climate.
The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory said a team at the National Ignition Facility “conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history and achieved what is known as a ‘net energy balance.’
“This is a historic achievement for NIF researchers and staff who have dedicated their careers to making fusion ignition a reality, and this turning point will no doubt be the spark for further discoveries,” said the Secretary of State. ‘US Energy Jennifer Gronholm.
