Is Nuclear Fusion Losing the Race with Global Warming?

Abstract

According to plans for development of fusion energy, the first stage is construction of device tokamak ITER [1] with main task of establishing burning gas plasma with required stability and duration. This stage should be accomplished by 2035, starting in 2005. The next stage should be the construction of complex DEMO [2] with the task of producing all the equipment for energy production and finally producing large amounts of carbon free energy. We do not want to make predictions on the outcome of fusion program, wishing the final success to the thousands of scientists and engineers who are contributing to this heroic effort. However, there are reasons to think (Seife [18], Stork[7]) that the time is too short. Starting with a planned date of end of work with ITER by 2035, we estimate that one needs to add 25 years for development of DEMO. By 2060 it would be too late to initiate actions to stop global warming. In the present situation we propose the intervention use of nuclear fission energy. New nuclear fission energy of PWR type could be available not later than 2034, some 25 years before expected fusion energy device could start. Our proposal could be of dramatic importance depending on the evolution of global warming.