Fusion reactors more economically viable: Experts

London: Fusion reactors can become an economically viable and safe means of generating electricity within a few decades, researchers report.

Fusion reactors generate electricity by heating plasma to around 100 million degrees Celcius so that hydrogen atoms fuse together, releasing energy. This differs from fission reactors which work by splitting atoms at much lower temperatures.

The analysis of building, running and decommissioning a fusion power station shows the financial feasibility of fusion energy in comparison to traditional fission nuclear power.

The findings build on earlier findings that a fusion power plant could generate electricity at a similar price to a fission plant and identifies new advantages in using the new superconductor technology.

Within a generation or two, fusion reactors could offer an almost unlimited supply of energy without contributing to global warming or producing hazardous products on a significant scale.

The advantage of fusion reactors over current fission reactors is that they create almostno radioactive waste.