FUSENOW

The green transition, coupled with the rising demand for electricity, necessitates a source of clean energy that is both abundant and widely distributed. Nuclear fusion, the process that powers stars, offers the potential for an inexhaustible source of clean energy for humanity without long-lived radioactive waste. An extensive international research initiative is underway to develop controlled thermonuclear fusion power, now supported by both public and private funding.

There are two primary approaches to achieving a fusion energy reactor: magnetic confinement of a hot hydrogen gas known as plasma, and the use of powerful laser pulses. At UiT, researchers are at the forefront of studying particle and heat transport at the boundary of magnetically confined plasmas, aiming to minimize adverse interactions with reactor wall components. Concurrently, a new research program on nanoplasmonic laser fusion is being established at UiB. The research center FUSENOW will strengthen and ensure continuation of the fusion energy research activities at these two institutions, which represent the only national efforts in this important field of science.

The project will foster close collaboration with the international fusion energy community and emphasize the development of a new generation of fusion plasma physicists in Norway. Additionally, extensive public outreach activities related to fusion power will be a key component of this effort, including advocating Norwegian membership of the EUROfusion-program.