The cost of fusion technology is likely to fall more slowly than previously predicted, raising doubts about its ability to compete with renewable energy.
Researchers at Swiss university ETH Zurich set out to explore whether assumptions about the cost-effectiveness of fusion power were realistic.
“Our paper is the first to provide an evidence-backed range of experience rates (ERs) for fusion power plants and has notably shown a large discrepancy between previous ER assumptions and a sensible ER range for the technology," said Lingxi Tang, doctoral researcher in the energy and technology policy group at ETH Zurich and first author of the study.
Fusion has been heralded as a potential source of almost limitless clean energy, which is seen as vital for energy security and the climate crisis. It uses the same process that powers the Sun by combining two forms of hydrogen and heating them at extreme temperatures.
There is currently a worldwide race towards commercialising fusion. For instance...