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Fusion joins light atomic nuclei; fission splits a heavy nucleus. Both can release heat that a power plant converts into electricity. In a future magnetic-confinement fusion plant, that heat would be captured by a surrounding blanket and coolant, then used to make steam for a turbine and generator. ITER, the major international fusion experiment, is studying some of the needed technologies but does not generate electricity.
How fusion releases energy
A leading reaction studied for fusion energy combines deuterium and tritium, two forms of hydrogen. The reaction produces a helium nucleus, also called an alpha particle, and a neutron. The products have slightly less mass than the starting nuclei; that mass difference is released as energy. The U.S. Department of Energy explains this reaction and the energy release in its overview of fusion reactions.
In a magnetic-confinement device, the plasma is held by magnetic fields. The charged helium nuclei remain affected by those fields and help heat the plasma. Neutrons have no electric charge, so they are not confined by the magnetic field: they travel out of the plasma and deposit energy in surrounding structures. ITER says approximately 80% of the energy from the deuterium-tritium reaction is carried away from the plasma by neutrons and deposited as heat in those structures. That figure describes reaction energy transfer, not electricity delivered by a power plant. ITER explains the neutron-to-heat process.
How a future fusion plant could make electricity
- Capture reaction energy as heat. A surrounding blanket would absorb energy from neutrons and other particles. Coolant flowing through or near the blanket would carry away heat.
- Transfer heat to a power cycle. The hot coolant could produce steam, directly or through a heat exchanger, depending on the plant design.
- Generate electricity. Steam would turn a turbine connected to a generator, as in other thermal power stations.
The blanket and coolant are essential parts of the conversion system: fusion reactions alone do not make grid electricity. ITER’s test blanket module program is studying candidate blanket and coolant technologies. ITER itself will not generate electricity; its cooling water will carry heat away to cooling towers. ITER describes the role of its test blanket modules and the technologies a working fusion system needs.
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Fusion and fission compared
| Question | Fusion | Fission |
|---|---|---|
| What happens to the nucleus? | Light nuclei combine into a heavier nucleus. In the deuterium-tritium example, the products are a helium nucleus and a neutron. | A heavy nucleus splits into smaller nuclei, often after being struck by a neutron. |
| What sustains the reaction? | Fusion requires conditions that bring nuclei together and sustain an extremely hot plasma. This article’s power-conversion explanation focuses on magnetic confinement. | Neutrons released by fission can trigger further fissions, sustaining a chain reaction that operators control. |
| How does it produce electricity? | A future plant would capture reaction energy as heat, move it with coolant, and use a heat engine such as a steam turbine and generator. | In commercial reactors, fission heat makes steam that drives a turbine and generator. |
| What is its current power-generation status? | ITER is an experiment and will not produce electricity. The cited sources do not establish fusion as a commercial electricity source. | The U.S. Department of Energy describes commercial reactors that use controlled fission to produce heat and electricity. |
The U.S. Department of Energy identifies uranium and plutonium as common fission fuels and describes how fission releases energy and neutrons that can sustain a chain reaction in its comparison of fission and fusion. ITER also says controlled fusion releases about four times the energy of nuclear fission; that is ITER’s comparison of nuclear reactions, not a claim that a fusion plant currently produces four times the electricity of a fission plant. ITER’s explanation of energy transfer distinguishes the energy produced in reactions from its conversion into electricity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why fusion experiments are not yet power plants
Producing fusion reactions is only one part of a power station. A plant would need to capture heat reliably, withstand neutron exposure, remove heat from the plasma-facing components, maintain equipment in a challenging environment, and manage the fuel cycle—including tritium breeding and recycling. It would also need to use less electricity across the whole facility than it exports, not merely produce energy in the plasma. ITER’s overview of making fusion work and fusion FAQs describe these continuing engineering challenges.
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Fusion and fission therefore differ in the nuclear reaction, but the electricity-generation principle is familiar: both can supply heat to a thermal power cycle. The unresolved challenge for fusion is building an integrated system that can sustain the reaction, capture its heat, and deliver net electricity.
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