Microsoft has taken a daring step towards a cleaner future by signing a monumental agreement to purchase electricity from a nuclear fusion generator. This audacious move is a bet on nuclear fusion, often referred to as the ‘Holy Grail’ of energy, a potentially unlimited source of clean energy.
Aiming for the Holy Grail: Helion Energy’s Promise
A company named Helion Energy is determined to deliver this Holy Grail to Microsoft by 2028. They announced a power purchase agreement with Microsoft, aiming to connect the world’s first commercial fusion generator to a power grid in Washington. The goal? To generate at least 50 megawatts of power, a small but significant amount, surpassing the 42MW generated by the US’s first two offshore wind farms.
Can They Deliver?
This is undoubtedly a tall order. Theoretical physicist Robert Rosner describes it as “the most audacious thing I’ve ever heard.” However, Helion remains unfazed. The company’s founder and CEO, David Kirtley, reassures the public that this is a binding agreement with financial penalties if they fail to build a fusion system.
Understanding Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion mimics the energy generation process of stars, where hydrogen nuclei fuse together to create helium and release a tremendous amount of energy. Scientists have been attempting to replicate this process in a controlled manner since the 1950s. Unlike the nuclear power plants of today that generate energy through atom-splitting fission, nuclear fusion avoids the problem of radioactive waste.
Helion’s Approach to Nuclear Fusion
Helion Energy’s approach to nuclear fusion is unique. The company is developing a 40-foot device called a plasma accelerator that heats fuel to 100 million degrees Celsius. This device heats deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen) and helium-3 into a plasma and then uses pulsed magnetic fields to compress the plasma until fusion occurs.
Recapturing Energy and Overcoming Challenges
According to Helion, the machine should eventually be able to recapture the electricity used to trigger the reaction, which can be used to recharge the device’s magnets. However, a major hurdle lies in achieving net energy gain, a feat recently accomplished in fusion research via lasers, and securing enough helium-3 fuel, a rare isotope. Helion claims to have patented a process to produce helium-3 itself, but the practicality remains to be seen.
The Road to Affordable Clean Energy
Even if Helion can overcome these technical challenges, the company must ensure that the electricity it generates is affordable. The cost should be comparable to or cheaper than today’s power plants, solar, and wind farms. The specifics of the agreement with Microsoft remain undisclosed, but Kirtley’s goal is to eventually reduce costs to a cent a kilowatt hour.
Microsoft’s investment in nuclear fusion energy, a concept that has been a dream for decades, reflects the company’s commitment to advancing clean energy solutions. As Brad Smith, vice chair and president at Microsoft, said in a press release, “Helion’s announcement supports our own long term clean energy goals and will advance the market to establish a new, efficient method for bringing more clean energy to the grid, faster.” However, as with all innovative technology, only time will tell if nuclear fusion energy will live up to its promise.
