Description

A critical review

The meeting will be introduced by Prof Niek Lopes Cardozo, TU/e professor of 'Science and Technology of Nuclear Fusion'.

Fusion enthusiasts say: 'clean, safe, no CO2, for everyone, forever'. That's the kind of energy everyone should want! Others say: 'outrageously expensive and its realisation will take forever'.

Who is right? There is no doubt that fusion energy is very difficult to realise. For the researcher, this is a bonus: fusion research brings extreme challenges in several areas such as magnetohydronamic stability (similar to astrophysical problems), the interaction between plasma and a material surface (related to the physics of industrial plasma applications), a wide range of advanced measurement techniques, nuclear materials and, finally, complexity. The large fusion reactor ITER currently under construction is probably the most complex device ever built by mankind.

But is fusion power simply difficult or are there fundamental limitations that cannot be overcome? And if there are no main showstoppers in science, how about technological barriers? And if these are surmountable, will fusion be economically feasible? And finally, if all these questions are answered in the affirmative, what share will fusion energy have by the end of this century? Fusion energy will certainly not be able to contribute meaningfully to the energy mix until the middle of this century, let alone in 2020. But science has to look ahead, and an energy source that has great potential - albeit in the long term - should certainly be on board for long-term planning.

We have 50 years of serious fusion research behind us. We are building ITER, which should produce 500 MW of fusion power in 10-minute long pulses. We are working on NIF (National Ignition Facility), which will generate a megajoule of fusion power in short pulses - at a very low frequency for now. These are projects in which around 10 billion euros have been invested, and the total annual international research budget of each is around 500 - 1000 million euros. This represents a point on the development line (energy and cost versus time) that can be meaningfully compared with other energy sources. In this lecture, Professor Lopez Cardozo will analyse, beyond the scientific and technological challenges, the time and investment required to bring fusion energy to market, and compare it with the development of other energy sources.

We would be delighted to welcome you to this evening. The walk-in is from 7.30 p.m

Niek Lopes Cardozo (1957) studied experimental physics in Utrecht and obtained his PhD on research in nuclear fusion. After several years at JET, the world's largest fusion reactor in Culham (near Oxford), he started at FOM-Rijnhuizen as a group leader and became head of the Fusion Physics Department and 'Head of Research Unit Euratom-FOM' in 2001. His research was boosted by NWO with a Pioneer Grant and in 2003 he received the Royal/Shell Prize for Sustainable Development and Energy.

As a professor at TU/e, he has so far promoted about 20 young researchers. Besides research and teaching, Lopes Cardozo was strongly committed to 'outreach', especially towards schoolchildren, for which he developed the Fusion Road Show. He was also active in the Dutch Physical Society. From 2001 to 2004, for instance, he was editor-in-chief of the Dutch Journal of Physics.

Speaker(s)

Lopes Cardozo represents Dutch fusion research in the highest management committees of the European fusion programme and is currently vice-chair of the Governing Board of the European Domestic Agency for ITER, 'Fusion for Energy' (based in Barcelona). He is co-initiator of ITER-NL, the Dutch consortium of the knowledge institutes TNO, FOM and NRG, which is committed to strong Dutch participation in the international ITER project and, to that end, bridges the gap between the researchers and the Dutch high-tech industry that will contribute to the construction of ITER

Location

KIVI NIRIA building, Prinsessegracht 23,

2514 AP The Hague

Organiser

Technology, Society & Economy

Name and contact details for information

Further information via the e-mail address below.

tme@kiviniria.nl