A nuclear fusion startup just reached a milestone to commercialize unlimited clean energy

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🗞️ Driving the news: OpenStar Technologies, a New Zealand-based startup, has announced a breakthrough in nuclear fusion by creating superheated plasma at 300,000°C using a novel "inside-out" reactor design
• This marks a significant step toward achieving nuclear fusion, a potential source of near-limitless clean energy
• OpenStar aims to develop scalable prototypes over the next few years

🔭 The context: Unlike traditional fission-based nuclear power, fusion involves fusing hydrogen atoms to produce energy, mimicking the process powering stars
• OpenStar’s reactor uses a unique levitated magnet inside the plasma, inspired by planetary magnetic fields, and claims faster, simpler engineering compared to the popular tokamak design
• Fusion startups worldwide are racing to commercialize this energy source, which has seen $7.1 billion in investments to date

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Fusion energy promises an abundant, non-polluting alternative to fossil fuels without the long-lived radioactive waste of traditional nuclear energy
• It could serve as a game-changing solution for the escalating climate crisis while utilizing existing power grids

⏭️ What's next: OpenStar plans to build two more prototypes in the next 2-4 years, with a goal of delivering fusion power in six years
• Other companies, like Commonwealth Fusion Systems, project commercialization by the early 2030s
• Experts caution that overcoming the scientific and regulatory challenges remains daunting

💬 One quote: “First plasma is a really important moment. It’s the moment that you know that everything works effectively,” - Ratu Mataira, OpenStar’s founder and CEO

📈 One stat: Fusion companies globally have secured over $7.1 billion in funding as of 2024

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