ML22306A032
| ML22306A032 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/08/2022 |
| From: | NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22236A632 | List: |
| References | |
| M221108 | |
| Download: ML22306A032 (6) | |
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1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DOEs Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy Richard Hawryluk Senior Technical Advisor, Office of Science
2 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Overview of recent developments in fusion
- Fusion is potentially a globally scalable, firm, carbon-free energy source that can help the U.S. and the world reach sustainable net-zero
- Recently, the U.S. has been forging a changing fusion R&D landscape, enabled by decades of public investments
- Major scientific and technology advances, and dramatic growth of private investments
- Demands an accelerated strategy for fusion RD&D both to maintain US leadership and to contribute to net-zero goals
- White House Fusion Summit (March 17, 2022) signaled ambition to realize a fusion pilot plant (FPP) on a decadal timescale by partnering with the private sector
- Informed by National Academies report Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid (2021) and FESAC Long Range Plan (2021)
- Recognized public-private partnerships (PPP) as the key opportunity to accelerate fusion RD&D
- Secretary of Energy announced new DOE fusion crosscut initiative to develop all-of-DOE fusion energy strategy
- We are moving ahead aggressively
- FOA released to start a milestone-based fusion development PPP program
3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY U.S. is forging a changed fusion landscape, offering a new opportunity and warranting a new fusion RD&D strategy NIF on cusp of ignition First ITER central-solenoid magnet module constructed by General Atomics and delivered by ORNL/USIPO 20-T magnet demonstration by Commonwealth Fusion Systems Growth of private-sector fusion investment
4 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Fusion companies have raised >$5B of private capital Fusion Industry Association formed in 2018, now with 29 member companies Pursuing diverse number of fusion approaches and fuel cycles The regulatory framework should be flexible enough to address a broad range of fusion concepts/approaches and fuel cycles Now building the largest new fusion experiments in the US SPARC (CFS)
General Fusion Norman (TAE)
ST-40 (Tokamak Energy)
5 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Key (abbreviated) recommendations from NASEM report Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid (2021)
To ensure US leadership and impact the transition to net-zero by 2050, DOE and the private sector should demonstrate net electricity in a fusion pilot plant in the 2035-2040 timeframe
- White House Summit declared ambition to accelerate this to the early 2030s DOE should move forward now via public-private partnerships to develop and bring fusion to commercial viability
- First step is a milestone-based fusion-development program Urgent investments by DOE and private industry are needed to resolve the remaining S&T issues to realize a fusion pilot plant
- We are working to build support for the needed resources
6 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Demonstration of safe operation of the fusion pilot plant is one of its most important goals.
DOE will support the NRC in developing a risk-appropriate fusion regulatory framework that provides regulatory certainty and Ensures public safety Enables investor/developer confidence by minimizing unnecessary regulatory burden [2021 NASEM report]
Addresses equity, energy-justice, and environmental concerns Fusion is fundamentally different than fission No special nuclear materials and no concerns about criticality Therefore, 10 CFR Part 50, which is tailored to fission power reactors, is not well suited to fusion technology [2021 NASEM report]
Tritium dominates the source term, and mitigation of tritium release is key Experience from TFTR, JET, NIF, and ITER can be leveraged