The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on December 30 that it held the 16th National Fusion Committee at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy and finalise the ‘4th basic plan of nuclear fusion energy development (2022-2026)’. The science ministry sets goals and directions of its policies for nuclear fusion energy development every 5 years.
According to the plan, it will continue to improve operating
technology in the field of KSTAR experiments, which are showing great results
such as maintaining 100 million degrees of ultra-high temperature plasma (for
30 seconds in 2021) and will develop technology to maintain the temperature for
300 seconds by 2026.
The nuclear fusion is the basic principle that the
artificial sun generates light and heat. The government is aiming to produce
power such as electricity by artificially implementing this principle on Earth
with KSTAR.
The Korean research team first successfully maintained KSTAR
at 100 million degrees for 1.5 seconds in 2018. It also succeeded in
maintaining 100 million degrees for 20 seconds last year and 30 seconds this
year. Following last year, Korea has set the longest record in the world this
year.
The government also set basic concepts of demonstration for
future nuclear fusion power generation, and presented the plan to establish
‘long-term R&D roadmap,’ including essential networks, by 2030.
It also selected ‘eight-core technologies’ needed to demonstrate
future nuclear fusion power generation, such as high-temperature, long-time,
and high-density core plasma technology and blanket technology to increase
tritium and produce power. It is planning to secure eight core technologies
through R&D projects and systemic cooperation, and will conduct preliminary
concept design of the demonstration in 2023.