Fusion energy has long been touted as the future of clean power. By replicating on Earth the processes that energise the stars, including our own Sun, fusion offers the promise of a virtually limitless, carbon-free energy source.

Amid growing interest in nuclear energy driven by rising power demand –especially from major technology companies – recent breakthroughs, substantial investment and emerging industry leaders are moving fusion energy towards commercialisation.

Fusion works by joining light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen isotopes, to form a heavier nucleus, releasing tremendous energy. To achieve fusion on Earth, scientists heat the fuel to millions of degrees, creating a plasma in which these atoms can collide and fuse. The main fuels for nuclear fusion are deuterium and tritium, which are isotopes of hydrogen.