Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

South Korean and U.S. researchers have made significant progress in securing a crucial technology essential for the commercialization of fusion energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Wednesday, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap agency.

The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) and the U.S.-based Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) discovered a method to stabilize the core plasma in fusion reactors more effectively by injecting boron powder, according to the ministry.

Specifically, the researchers found that injecting boron powder reduces the release of tungsten impurities from the inner walls of the fusion reactor.

Tungsten is regarded as one of the most promising next-generation materials for nuclear fusion facilities due to its exceptional heat resistance and durability. However, the presence of tungsten impurities in the plasma can negatively affect the stability and overall performance of the reactor, posing a significant challenge to fusion energy development.

The experiments were conducted using South Korea’s tokamak-type nuclear fusion reactor, the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR), which has been operational since 2007.

“By leveraging domestic infrastructure like KSTAR, we aim to continue advancing research that will lead to the development of key technologies critical to accelerating the realization of nuclear fusion energy and related fields,” the ministry stated.

This breakthrough represents a pivotal step toward making fusion energy—a clean, virtually limitless power source—a practical reality. Fusion has long been hailed as the “holy grail” of energy, and innovations like these bring humanity closer to a future where energy scarcity and environmental impact are dramatically reduced.