Fusion energy opportunities for Australia

Millions of years of clean power generation with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions – that, say Australian experts, is the promise of nuclear fusion.

And they want Australia to be part of the $16 billion international effort to turn it into reality.

Thursday 12 October 2006

Seventy two years ago an Australian, Sir Mark Oliphant, discovered fusion – the reaction that powers the Sun and stars.

Scientists from around the world meet in Sydney this Thursday and Friday to discuss how fusion can be captured and contained, and to see what role Australia can play in ITER – the experimental fusion reactor being constructed in France, and also the world’s largest science project.

“We need to be part of the journey,” says Matthew Hole, Chair of the Australian ITER Forum and a research fellow in the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the Australian National University. “Fusion could bring energy security, and slash greenhouse gas emissions,” he says.

And Australia has expertise to bring to the party with expertise in modelling plasma – the ionised gases at the heart of the fusion reactor that will reach perhaps ten times the temperature of the heart of the sun, measuring plasma properties, and in developing the materials that will be needed to help contain the plasma.

However, despite Australia’s early leadership in fusion science, we’re not yet engaged in ITER – which is set to become the world’s largest science experiment, supported by over 30 governments representing over half the planet’s population. This will inevitably lead to new Australian graduates going overseas to work in the field and the loss of domestic capability.

“What will it cost us to get the technology back later on? To buy back the developed technology?” asks Dr Hole, who adds that Australia would then likely be without the domestic knowledge base to make judgements as to what it was buying.

Instead, says Dr Hole, joining the international fusion drive now would increase Australia’s standing in international science and engineering fields. It would also attract home outstanding graduates who now work overseas in international fusion programmes and inspire a new generation of Australian students to choose a career in science and engineering.

Taking part in the AU$16 billion ITER project could also mean good news for Australian industry. A large fraction of the cost of the project – about AU$10 billion – will be returned to the construction and high tech sectors in the member nations with contracts to construct the huge new machine. If Australia was to engage, there are potential short and long term contract opportunities for Australian engineering and component manufacturing industries. But without membership of ITER, Australian companies will not be able to bid for contracts.

Furthermore, Australia has large reserves of the materials, such as niobium, vanadium and lithium, that are important to the development of fusion power. ITER involvement would allow these reserves to be exploited.

But, beyond the raw materials, what expertise would Australia bring to the international fusion community?

According to Professor O’Connor, Australia has strengths in two major areas – plasmas and materials, both crucial to nuclear fusion. For nuclear fusion to work, scientists need to create very high temperature (up to ten times hotter than the core of the sun), stable plasmas (or ionised gases). Australia has, at the Australian National University and the University of Sydney, considerable strength in plasma modelling and theory, as well as in measuring plasma properties. At the materials end, groups at the universities of Wollongong and Newcastle and at ANSTO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, have particular strengths which might be of interest to the international fusion community.

“Australia has been and continues to be valuable to the international community,” says Dr Hole of the fusion related research being undertaken here. “We have very senior international delegates coming to this Sydney meeting because they see the ongoing contribution Australia has made. They are coming to see the opportunity to engage Australia in ITER.”

The Australian ITER Workshop will be held in Sydney Australia at the Manly Pacific Hotel, 55 North Steyne, Manly
Thursday 12 and Friday 13 October 2006

Journalists are invited to attend an evening reception
Wednesday 11 October 6.30-8.30pm and can sit in on the workshop

For interview, contact Dr George Collins - 0408 202 605, Dr Matthew Hole - 0417 148 114, or Prof John O'Connor - 0402 839 978

The conference is being organised by scientists from the University of Sydney, the Australian National University, Flinders University, University of Canberra, the University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong, Murdoch University, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, and the Australian Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering.

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