Nuclear fusion: The most beautiful nuclear power plant in the world

cultural Kernfusion

The most beautiful nuclear power plant in the world

As of 3:31 p.m | Reading time: 2 minutes

This is how the future shines: fusion reactor near Oxford

Those: AL_A

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Ever since scientists made a breakthrough in nuclear fusion, many have seen green nuclear power within reach. But what will the new reactors look like? The construction of a fusion power plant has now been approved in England.

“Come on, children, let’s take a trip to the nuclear power plant!” That’s what this atmospheric picture is trying to tell us. Instead of a steaming cooling tower, a brutal concrete reactor block and security systems reinforced with barbed wire, you see a translucent circular tower that rises above a glass base, with the heather in bloom in front of it.

The building still only exists as a computer-generated rendering, but permission to construct the power plant has been granted. South of Oxford, in the Culham Science Center, construction is due to begin before the end of this year. The building was designed by the British architect Amanda Levete and her London office AL_A.

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The reactor is being planned together with the Canadian energy company General Fusion. And it all looks so open and friendly because the atomic nuclei of uranium are not to be split here, but those of hydrogen are to be fused to form those of helium, with hardly any radioactivity occurring, but a lot of green energy.

So far, nuclear fusion has only worked really well in the sun, in theory and in some research reactors. But in December 2022, the scientists rejoiced because a Californian laboratory had succeeded for the first time in using nuclear fusion to generate more energy than it consumed. A turning point for industrial, commercial use too?

Proposed fusion reactor at Culham Science Center in Oxfordshire

Those: AL_A

In any case, the sun of hope is shining over Oxfordshire. And if you trust the renderings, nuclear power plants will soon draw entire school classes to witness how in the light-flooded fusion hall a magnetic field keeps the pressure of a sun-hot hydrogen plasma in check so close that the old adage of nuclear fusion as the energy of the future becomes true , which will always remain the energy of the future, proves to be a fallacy.

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