Israeli start-up NT-TAO has announced the development of a container-sized fusion reactor that is expected to be a million times more efficient than current fusion reactors, thanks to its thousand-fold plasma density. Fusion reactors heat particles, usually hydrogen isotopes deuterium (D) and tritium (T), to the point of plasma. This results in extreme temperatures. Recently, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also known as China’s artificial sun, set a new record by maintaining 100 million-degree Celsius plasma for 403 seconds. To prevent the plasma from touching the walls of the fusion reactor, it is suspended by a magnetic field. The Israeli start-up NT-TAO has announced the development of a commercial fusion reactor that combines both Tokamak and Stellator designs.
NT-TAO’s CEO, Oded Gour-Lavie, explained that the company’s design significantly reduces the required space for the fusion reactor. The goal is to build a fusion reactor the size of a shipping container, which is much smaller than the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), which has an area of 42 hectares. In addition to its compact design, NT-TAO’s fusion reactor is expected to enable a thousand-fold higher plasma density, making it a million times more efficient. Although few details are publicly available, investors, including automaker Honda, have recently provided $28 million for the development.
While the plans of the Israeli start-up may seem unrealistic, the potential benefits of a more efficient fusion reactor are significant. Fusion energy has the potential to provide a virtually limitless source of clean energy, with no greenhouse gas emissions or radioactive waste. If NT-TAO’s fusion reactor proves successful, it could revolutionize the energy industry and help address the global climate crisis.
