Why is it in the news?

• JT-60SA, the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor, inaugurated in Japan.
• It is a collaboration between the European Union and Japan and a forerunner for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) currently under construction.

About ITER

• Aims to demonstrate nuclear fusion as a clean and green energy source.
• Located in France and involves collaboration among China, EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the US.
• Aims to build the world’s largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device utilizing principles powering the Sun and stars. Tokamak fuses hot plasma with a robust magnetic field, reaching temperatures over 150 million degrees Celsius.

Nuclear Fusion

• Process where two or more light atomic nuclei fuse to produce a heavier nucleus, releasing a tremendous amount of energy.
• Differs from nuclear fission, where atoms are split, releasing energy (common in existing nuclear power plants).
• Advantages of Fusion includes abundant energy release; fuel is nearly inexhaustible. No production of CO2, greenhouse gases, or radioactive waste, distinguishing it from nuclear fission.