A Canadian company attempting to develop a fusion reactor recently received $22 million in funding from investors. The money should help its team reach new milestones.
General Fusion had been struggling before investors stepped in, according to TechCrunch. That said, the money is only a fraction of what is needed to fully fund the project.
However, the investors believed this infusion could help the company "hit the next scientific milestone," TechCrunch explained. The outlet reported that the funds should help General Fusion operate the Lawson Machine 26, a prototype of a commercial-scale reactor.
In simple terms, nuclear fusion mimics the process that powers the sun and other stars. The International Atomic Energy Agency states that during fusion, two atomic nuclei collide, releasing massive amounts of energy.
TechCrunch provided an overview of how the reactor works, explaining that the process should drive the temperature and pressure of the plasma high enough to trigger a fusion reaction.
General Fusion hopes to reach "scientific breakeven" by 2026. That means the amount of energy required to initiate fusion is equal to the amount of energy generated by the reaction. TechCrunch emphasized that this is a crucial part in proving the viability of the reactor's design.
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With funding setbacks, the timeline may shift. However, this should help the company work toward other goals, which include heating plasma to 10 million and then 100 million degrees Celsius, per TechCrunch.
Nuclear fusion would provide a cleaner energy source than dirty energy sources such as gas and oil. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it can be a long-term power source that doesn't deplete natural resources or generate heat-trapping pollution.
Additionally, the fuel required to produce fusion energy is widely accessible, per U.S. Fusion Energy. That means it has the potential to bring nearly limitless affordable power to people all over the world.
There are concerns associated with nuclear power that would have to be addressed to ensure public safety. For example, the Natural Resources Defense Council explained that natural disasters and mechanical failures could lead to significant issues, such as radioactive contamination.
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If General Fusion can achieve its goals, investors may be willing to provide more funding to the company. "Fusion has the power to shape our future: a world where energy is clean, abundant, and accessible," CEO Greg Twinney said in a news release. "That is the world we're building."
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