Fusion energy is a method of generating energy that does not require carbon emissions, radioactive waste and rare types of fuel.

On December 5, 2022, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory produced more energy using fusion energy than they had input for the first time in their history.

This was considered a great achievement in the scientific world, but in reality there are some challenges and limitations.

Fusion energy is based on the principle of generating energy by fusing atomic nuclei. Unlike conventional nuclear energy, this method does not produce long-term radiation or radioactive waste. However, this success has not yet been translated into a practical energy source.

One of the main problems in this area is that the technology currently used does not provide sufficient energy production. The National Ignition Facility measures energy only from a narrow perspective, showing that the total energy output is far below the energy needed to power the lasers.

Furthermore, the facility can fire a few laser shots, but a real fusion reactor needs ten shots per second.

Fuel supply is another problem. Fusion reactors use hydrogen isotopes such as deuterium and tritium. While deuterium is abundant, tritium is extremely rare and costly to produce. Furthermore, reactors produce tritium as a byproduct, but capturing it efficiently is a challenging problem.

Finally, fusion reactors face major challenges in terms of their design and engineering. Current technology is not suitable for energy production, and innovations such as next-generation lasers and more effective targeting methods are needed.

Therefore, fusion energy still has a long way to go to become a real energy source. However, scientists and companies continue to contribute to progress in this field by developing new methods and technologies.