Fusion Energy & The ITER Project: The Next Step to a Sustainable Future

Fusion energy powers the sun and the stars, but it is yet to be tapped by man. Countries representing over half the world’s population plan to construct and operate a large experimental device, ITER (Latin for ‘the way’), to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy for peaceful purposes. In this lecture, Dr Barry Green discusses the fusion process, its advantages as a source of energy, and ITER as the next, logical step on the path to developing a fusion power producing reactor. He discusses the status of the ITER project and outline the development of fusion power beyond ITER. Finally, he considers Australia’s historical role in this field and remark on its possible development.