Government purchases machine that mimics the process used to power the sun and stars: ‘Demanding requirements’

The United Kingdom has purchased an exciting piece of technology from Swedish company Freemelt, marking a major investment in what the country hopes will be a future of clean, limitless energy.

The U.K.’s Atomic Energy Authority spent roughly $800,000 on an eMELT machine. This machine allows the organization to begin in-house production of 3D-printed tungsten tiles, which are essential for fusion energy. Metal AM reported that the machine will support feasibility studies and proof-of-concept for fusion energy.

“UKAEA’s investment in eMELT is an important confirmation that our … technology meets the demanding requirements in fusion,” Freemelt CEO Daniel Gidlund said in a statement.

The Atomic Energy Authority’s mission is to research and deliver fusion energy to the U.K. Fusion energy is a relatively new field of study in green energy but also one of the most exciting.

It mimics the process used to power the sun and stars by fusing atoms together, causing a reaction that unleashes huge amounts of energy. Accomplishing this feat takes large amounts of heat and pressure, as the atoms naturally want to repel one another.

It doesn’t create the radioactive waste that is a byproduct of fission, which is used in nuclear power plants. This makes it the “holy grail” of green energy, as it could provide “limitless” amounts of clean energy if scientists can crack it.

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Tungsten plays a key role in the fusion process because it has an extremely high melting point. By making machinery that allows for the easy development of tungsten tiles, Freemelt could help bring the dream of clean fusion energy closer to reality.

“Tungsten is one of the most challenging materials to process, and our technology enables the production of complex components with high quality,” Gidlund said.

Still, there is a long way to go before this energy becomes widespread and commercially viable. Only in recent years have researchers reached “ignition” — the point at which a fusion reaction generates more energy than what was put in. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates fusion won’t be ready to create widespread electricity until the back half of this century.

To reach that point, tons of tungsten will be necessary. Freemelt says that large reactors will require more than 1 million tungsten tiles to operate properly, while smaller fusion machines will still need at least 100,000 tiles.

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