US scientists have been able to produce more energy from a nuclear fusion reaction than it consumes for the second time, after making a breakthrough in the science last December.
Upping the amount of net energy produced compared to the ground-breaking experiment last winter, researchers at the federal Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieved the feat at its laser facility and are currently analysing the results, new reports have revealed.
“Since demonstrating fusion ignition for the first time at the National Ignition Facility in December 2022, we have continued to perform experiments to study this exciting new scientific regime. In an experiment conducted on July 30, we repeated ignition at NIF,” a statement from researchers said.
By heating two hydrogen isotopes to extreme temperatures, often compared to recreating a mini-sun, the atomic nuclei fuse and release helium and large quantities of energy in the form of neutrons.
While the commercialisation of fusion energy remains decades away, weighed down by behemoth costs and a lack of development, the potential is huge.
No carbon or long-lived radioactive waste is produced by the process and theoretically, a small cup of hydrogen fuel would be enough to power a reactor for hundreds of years.