Bringing fusion electricity to the grid The European Fusion
Development Agreement (EFDA) has published a roadmap which
outlines how to supply fusion electricity to the grid by 2050.
The roadmap to the realisation of fusion energy breaks the quest
for fusion energy down into eight missions. For each mission, it
reviews the current status of research, identifies open issues,
proposes a research and development programme and estimates the
required resources. It points out the needs to intensify
industrial involvement and to seek all opportunities for
collaboration outside Europe. The goal of fusion research is to
make the energy of the stars available on Earth by fusing
hydrogen nuclei. Fusion energy is nearly unlimited as it draws
on the abundant raw materials deuterium and lithium. It does not
produce greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste. It is
intrinsically safe, as chain reactions are impossible. So far,
fusion scientists have succeeded in generating fusion power, but
the required energy input wa