£2.5 billion for prototype fusion energy plant

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Pro@reddthat.com⁩ to ⁨unitedkingdom@feddit.uk⁩

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/25-billion-for-world-first-prototype-fusion-energy-plant

The new prototype plant, known as STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) will be built at the site of the former West Burton A coal power station near Retford and Gainsborough. The site was chosen by the government in 2022 as the location for the project, with the project’s delivery expected to create over 10,000 jobs ranging from construction to operations.

STEP works by combining hydrogen gases, deuterium and tritium, which are heated to over 150 million degrees Celsius and confined within a powerful magnetic field. The energy produced can then be used to create steam, to turn a turbine, generating electricity - just like in any conventional power plant.

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HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Have I missed some news. Last I heard no one had gotten a positive output from fusion for more the a few seconds.

Is that no longer the case. Or is this 2.5b for an experiment that may not work?

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- Horse@lemmygrad.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  don’t worry, it’s england, it will go 300% over budget, 5 years over the delivery date, then get cancelled
  
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  - HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Having looked it up and answered my own questions.
    
    Yeah they are actually building a portable star.
    
    And while it is very much an experiment. It is based on a smaller successful fusion plant from 2022.
    
    So honestly using your guess. 7.5b 2045 and failing. Is still pretty fucking amazing amount the UK learns about a new future technology. And well worth the risk for the expertise we would gain.
    
    If it actually works the UK will be helping the world make more. And the odds are pretty high compar d to the UKs first fission plants.
    
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- HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Ah did a little googling myself. No expert. But for anyone else wondering.
  
  Both is the answer
  
  The first positive consistent fusion was achieved in 2022. So over COVID. I may have missed it due to hiding ;)
  
  But yes this is experimental. But fully expected to be the first full scale power plant. So Def worth the UK gaining the experience and solving the issues.
  
  It is not expected till 2040. So 2.5b is way less over 15 years then it seemed.
  
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BeNotAfraid@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Yes, This is good. Energy independence is going to be the issue of the 21st century.

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