US Scientists Achieve Net Energy Gain In Fusion Ignition For Second Time

US scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have made a significant breakthrough in fusion energy, achieving net energy gain for the second time since December.

This achievement was made possible through an experiment conducted in the California-based lab's National Ignition Facility on 30 July.

The results of this experiment surpassed the energy yield achieved in December, marking a notable progress in fusion ignition.

The final results of the latest test are still being analysed, Reuters reported citing a spokesperson for the Lawrence Livermore.

In December 2022, Lawrence Livermore made history by achieving net energy gain in a fusion experiment using lasers.

The scientists directed a laser at a fuel target to fuse two light atoms into a denser one, thus releasing energy.

This groundbreaking achievement demonstrated the potential of fusion as a viable energy source.

The US Energy Department had announced that an experiment successfully achieved fusion ignition by generating 3.15 megajoules of energy output. This was accomplished after delivering 2.05 megajoules of laser energy to the target.

Essentially, the experiment produced more energy from fusion than the energy used to drive the laser, according to the department.

This achievement was hailed as a "major scientific breakthrough" that has been decades in the making. The US Energy Department believes it will open the door to advancements in national defence and the future of clean power.

Scientists have been aware for a long time that fusion powers the sun, and they have been working on developing fusion on Earth for many years.

If this technology can be scaled up to a commercial level in the future, it could potentially help combat climate change.