News Desk
WASHINGTON: The United States Department of Energy on Sunday said it would reveal a “major scientific advance” this week after news outlets reported that a federal laboratory in the United State had just accomplished a significant milestone in nuclear fusion research.
According to a report published by The Financial Times (FT), scientists and researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have successfully generated a “net energy gain” using an experimental fusion reactor.
United States breakthrough on fusion energy
This development in nuclear fusion energy marks the first-time scientists successfully produced huge energy in a fusion reaction — the same kind that powers the Sun — than was used during the process, which might mark a significant advancement in the quest for carbon-free nuclear energy.
According to the Energy Department and LLNL officials, who declined to verify or corroborate the FT claim about United State development in Fusion Energy but revealed that United State Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm would “announce a big scientific breakthrough” on Tuesday,
The LLNL spokesperson stated on development that their “Research is currently ongoing,” But Jennifer Granholm said on development, “We look forward to revealing more on Tuesday, after completion of research.”
According to the FT, which cited three sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings, the fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain of 120 percent took place within the last two weeks.
According to the Washington Post, two persons oriented with the Research later confirmed the development, and a senior fusion scientist told the newspaper, “To most of us, this was only a matter of time.”
Significance of nuclear fusion energy
Nuclear fusion has the potential to be the energy source of the future since it generates so little waste and emits no greenhouse gases.
California congressman Ted Lieu tweeted, “If this fusion energy breakthrough is real, it might be a game changer for the globe.”
The method currently utilized in nuclear power plants, fission, is different from fusion energy in that it fuses two atomic nuclei instead of dividing one. Nearly the size of three football fields make up the LLNL fusion facility, which bombards a remote location with a lot of energy to start a fusion reaction.
