Fusion reactors were a huge technological advancement when they were created. They are a form of power generation used all over the world to create electricity for the masses. The way they work is that two lighter nuclei combine to create a heavier nucleus which then releases energy. The devices that are created to hold this energy or to facilitate the reaction are called fusion reactors.

Even though many countries in the world have fusion reactors, scientists have now decided to build the world’s largest fusion reactor to generate electricity. The project has been started in the South of France and is now in the planning stages, while the actual building is meant to begin by 2025.

The project is not facilitated by just one country rather it a union of 35 countries who have come together. The project is called ITER and is said to be very ambitious. On their website, they believe they want to try and create fusion energy with the help of a gigantic magnetic device called tokamak.

One thing to keep in mind is that fusion energy is clean and good for the environment. It, unlike fossil fuels, does not harm the environment and is a much better and more powerful alternative. ITER’s director-general believes that the project will be a miracle for the environment as it could enable the exclusive use of clean energy.

If the energy produced is more than what has been used to start the project, soon enough countries can rely solely on clean energy with massive benefits for the environment. It is also better than the nuclear fission power currently used as there is no nuclear waste or a risk of a meltdown.

Yet if we were to focus on the research done on fusion reactors and the way they function, it shows that the reactions within are very unpredictable and very difficult to control. This is why it may be difficult for ITER to create a structure that could control and predict the fusion reaction well.

To counter this, ITER plans to create a reactor weighing approximately 23,000 tons while having 3000 tons of magnets that are connected to superconducting cables totaling 200 kilometers long. All of which will need to be kept at a very low temperature of -269 degrees.

Building this machine will not be an easy task and has been compared to the precision of a Swiss watch and 3D puzzle that will need to put together intricately like a timeline by the Director-General.

The team, however, behind the project is optimistic about the results. The fusion reactor is meant to produce self-heating plasma which is said to produce about 10 times the heat of the input amount. If this project is completed successfully, it could create a new world for us.