“We should be trying to make fusion a commercial reality as soon as possible.” So says Steve Cowley, head of the UK fusion program, referring to the scheduling troubles facing ITER, the international project intended to prove the feasibility of fusion energy. “What worries me is, if you push ITER back, it becomes less relevant. Fusion must deliver on a time scale that is relevant for the energy debate.” Otherwise, he says, “we might opt for decisions in energy that we regret—like the long-term burning of coal. Things you would not do if you had fusion.”
Cowley’s comments came ahead of a meeting held in late February, at which ITER representatives breathed a collective sigh of relief upon reaching an understanding that puts them on the path to a binding agreement on the project’s schedule. In preparation for sealing such an agreement at the upcoming June ITER council meeting, the...
