Fission already lets you generate zero-Carbon power from cheap fuel, at the cost of constructing a monumentally expensive plant.
Fusion sort of looks like it will give you that dynamic, only more extreme. Fuel even cheaper, plants even more expensive and time-consuming (and risky, given lack of track-record)
Solving the waste problem is nice, but not climate-relevant (and you will still be generating a bunch of activated metal due to all the fusion neutrons)
I agree with you that humanity wants to be fusing a lot of hydrogen in 100 years. I don't think it's super relevant to the challenges of the next 20, though
Prototypes and early models are extremely expensive but there are encouraging signs that fusion plants could be cheaper. The technology is inherently safer so site-preparation would be cheaper (can be a massive bill for fission), the same consideration could lead to factory-style production of magnets and other similar components, more interest from the public (safe, climate-friendly) and any sea-touching countries (energy-security) would mean more demand pushing economies of scale further, safer means less time passing certification, etc.
Comments
Fission already lets you generate zero-Carbon power from cheap fuel, at the cost of constructing a monumentally expensive plant.
Fusion sort of looks like it will give you that dynamic, only more extreme. Fuel even cheaper, plants even more expensive and time-consuming (and risky, given lack of track-record)
Solving the waste problem is nice, but not climate-relevant (and you will still be generating a bunch of activated metal due to all the fusion neutrons)
I agree with you that humanity wants to be fusing a lot of hydrogen in 100 years. I don't think it's super relevant to the challenges of the next 20, though
Prototypes and early models are extremely expensive but there are encouraging signs that fusion plants could be cheaper. The technology is inherently safer so site-preparation would be cheaper (can be a massive bill for fission), the same consideration could lead to factory-style production of magnets and other similar components, more interest from the public (safe, climate-friendly) and any sea-touching countries (energy-security) would mean more demand pushing economies of scale further, safer means less time passing certification, etc.