The development of the 'artificial Taeyang' is accelerating. Choi Won-ho, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), noted on the 1st, "The Korean-style Innovation Fusion Reactor (CPD) is set to begin operation in the 2030s and aims to enter commercialization in the 2040s."
On that day, Professor Choi made this statement at the 'Public-Private Cooperation Fusion Energy Realization Acceleration Strategy Forum' held at the Korea Fusion Energy Institute in Daejeon, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Fusion devices are called artificial Taeyang because they mimic the principle by which the Taeyang produces energy. In the Taeyang, light atoms such as hydrogen fuse in a plasma state, where nuclei and electrons are separated, transforming into heavier helium nuclei. Enormous energy is generated as a result of the mass loss during this process.
According to Professor Choi, major countries like the United States, Europe, and China are accelerating the timeline for the commercialization of fusion power towards the 2030s. As significant power is consumed by the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), fusion power is emerging as a realistic alternative.
Professor Choi explained, "The United States declared a vision for accelerating fusion energy during the Biden administration in 2022, and this policy has remained consistent even during the Trump administration," adding, "In the case of China, they invest more than 2 trillion won annually in fusion energy."
Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in startups related to small fusion reactors in the private sector. According to Professor Choi, private sector investments have risen swiftly from $4.8 billion (about 7 trillion won) in 2022 to $7.1 billion (about 10.4 trillion won) by 2024.
Fusion is seen as the next generation of clean energy because it does not produce harmful substances such as radioactive waste or carbon dioxide during the power generation process and has very low explosion risks. However, stabilizing and maintaining high-temperature plasma exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius is technically challenging, and commercial fusion power has not yet been successful. Domestic researchers aim to overcome existing limitations by developing an innovative fusion reactor.
Yoon Si-woo, deputy director of the Korea Fusion Energy Institute, emphasized, "The technology from the existing superconducting fusion research facility (K-STAR) will be the core foundation in the design of the new fusion reactor," stating that integrating AI technology and digital twin technology is also crucial for the development of an innovative fusion reactor.
A digital twin is a 3D virtual representation of the real world. It is essential to overcome the technical obstacles of fusion with the recently advanced information technology (IT). Experts from academia, industry, and research advise that the commercialization of fusion power should be expedited through the participation of corporations.
Lee Chang-yoon, the first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "Our country possesses world-class fusion research capabilities through the operation of K-STAR, and now is the time to establish specific execution strategies to tackle the challenging tasks preparing for the commercialization of fusion energy," adding, "This forum will promote the development of innovative fusion reactors and strengthen cooperation among government, academia, and industry to lead the global fusion demonstration market."