Tokamak Energy, a UK-based nuclear fusion startup, has secured $125 million in funding to further develop its distinctive egg-shaped reactor design. The investment has come at a time when the world is increasingly seeking environment-friendly energy sources, and nuclear fusion is at the forefront. “Fusion is extremely efficient, creating many million times more energy, per kilogram of fuel, than burning coal, oil, or gas with no harmful emissions,” emphasized the company in a press release. “When a mix of two forms of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) are heated to form a controlled plasma at high temperatures – hotter than the core of the Sun – they fuse to create helium and release energy which can be harnessed to produce electricity and heat,” explained the company. However, it has been very difficult to control and maintain fusion reactions in a way that can be used to generate power. One of the biggest hurdles in the realization of fusion energy has been the need for extremely high temperatures (ten to fifteen times hotter than the core of the sun) to induce the fusion of hydrogen atoms. However, such intense heat would melt any known material. This is where the tokamak design comes in. It uses powerful magnets to contain and control the superheated plasma, preventing it from touching the reactor walls. Tokamak Energy is pushing the boundaries of magnet technology with its high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets.

Full story : Nuclear fusion startup Tokamak Energy raises $125 million for commercial development of its unique egg-shaped reactor.