U.S. Department of Energy: Fusion Ignition Achieved

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced the achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL): a major scientific breakthrough that has been in the works for decades. pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean energy. On December 5, a team from LLNL's National Ignition Facility (NIF) conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history to achieve this milestone, also known as the scientific energy break-even point, which means it produced more fusion energy than the laser energy used to drive it. This landmark achievement, the first of its kind, will provide unprecedented capability to support NNSA's inventory management program and provide invaluable insight into the prospects for clean fusion energy, which would be a game-changer for efforts to to achieve President Biden's goal of a net-zero carbon economy.

"This is a historic achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will no doubt spark even more discoveries," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting our world-class scientists, like the NIF team, whose work will help us solve humanity's most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean energy to fight climate change and maintain a nuclear-free nuclear deterrent. testing."

"We've had a theoretical understanding of fusion for more than a century, but the journey from knowledge to action can be long and arduous. Today's step shows what we can do with it. perseverance,” said Dr. Arati Prabhakar, the president’s chief science and technology adviser and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

"Monday, December 5, 2022 was a historic science day thanks to the incredible people at Livermore Lab and the National Ignition Facility. By achieving this breakthrough, they have opened a new chapter in the NNSA inventory management program" "I want to thank the members of Congress who have supported the National Ignition Facility because their faith in the promise of visionary science has been essential to our mission," said NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby. Our team at DOE National Laboratories and our international partners have shown us the power of collaboration. »

“The pursuit of fusion ignition in the laboratory is one of the greatest scientific challenges ever faced by mankind, and achieving it is a triumph of science, engineering and, above all, people," said LLNL director Dr. Kim Budil. said. “Crossing this threshold is the vision that has driven 60 years of dedicated pursuit – a continuous process of learning, building, expanding knowledge and capability, and then finding ways to overcome new challenges that have emerged. These are the problems that the US National Laboratories were created to solve. »

“This amazing scientific breakthrough puts us on the precipice of a future that will no longer depend on fossil fuels, but instead will be powered by a new, clean fusion energy,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. I commend Lawrence Livermore National Labs and its partners in the National Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program, including the Laser Energy Laboratory at the University of Rochester in New York, for achieving this breakthrough. Making this future world of clean energy a reality will require our physicists, innovative workers, and the brightest minds at our DOE-funded institutions, including the Rochester Laser Lab, to double down on their cutting-edge work. That's why I'm also proud to announce today that I helped secure the highest authorization this year of over $624 million under the National Defense Authorization Act. for the ICF program to build on this incredible breakthrough."

"After more than a decade of scientific and technical innovation, I congratulate the team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Ignition Facility on their historic achievement," said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA). "This is an exciting step in the merger and everyone at Lawrence Livermore and NIF should be proud of this milestone achievement."

"This is a historic and innovative achievement that builds on the contributions of generations of Livermore scientists. Today, our nation rests on their collective shoulders. We still have a long way to go, but this is a critical step, and I commend the U.S. Department of Energy and everyone who has contributed to this promising breakthrough, which could help fuel a cleaner, brighter energy future for the United States and humanity," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (RI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services...