a technological breakthrough that can be used for the planet

Imagine a world where not only oil is no longer of interest, but where nuclear power stations are also obsolete. And even where solar and wind power are already outdated. This world is being invented in one of the most prestigious temples of scientific research, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, near Boston. Physicist Dennis Whyte takes us with his colleague to this controlled-access laboratory hangar, where the energy of the future is invented, fusion, that which could replace all the others.

“What we see here is a technological breakthrough that will allow fusion to be a usable energy for humanity, much sooner than expected”, explains Dennis Whyte, director of the Plasma science and fusion center, MIT (United States). A young generation of brilliant researchers has found new avenues, and set up a start-up associated with the university to put them into practice. In the next few years, scientists and engineers are expected to develop the first fusion power plants, which they say will be the size of a tennis court. Their deployment around the world could begin as early as the next decade, in the 2030s.