Nuclear fusion is an emerging form of nuclear energy generation that involves combining two forms of hydrogen at 150 million deg C. - Photo: Reuters
SINGAPORE: With Singapore firms showing interest in contributing to the search for solutions to some of the key challenges in nuclear fusion, Britain, which is launching its own mega fusion project, is eyeing potential research and commercial collaborations with organisations here.
The development of nuclear fusion in Singapore will enable the city-state to contribute its capabilities in fields like materials engineering and artificial intelligence to this emerging field, experts say.
This will allow Singapore to reap shorter-term economic benefits, such as in the form of intellectual property or new technology, even as the city-state considers the use of nuclear energy.
The UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA)’s chief executive, Professor Ian Chapman, who was in Singapore on a three-day visit from Sept 11 to 13, told The Straits Times that his agency is in talks with some Singapore companies and research institutes, such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), for potential collaboration.
He added that companies here, including ST Engineering and small and medium enterprises, have shown interest in solving some of the key challenges in nuclear fusion.
His visit comes on the back of the UK-Singapore Strategic Partnership that was signed in September 2023, under which both countries are looking to grow a strong partnership in fusion energy.
Nuclear fusion is an emerging form of nuclear energy generation that involves combining two forms of hydrogen at extreme temperatures of 150 million deg C – 10 times hotter than the centre of the sun.
In contrast, conventional nuclear fission reactions – the dominant technology used by current nuclear plants – does not require such high temperatures to occur. In fission, radioactive uranium atoms are split into two, kicking off a chain reaction that releases a large amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation.
Using the force of superconducting magnets, the fusion reactions, which produce immense amounts of energy, typically take place in a state of matter known as plasma – a hot, charged gas that has a viscous consistency.
While scientists have been able to prove that fusion reactions work, the challenge lies in getting the reaction to last for a prolonged period, and eventually, be self-sustaining – a prerequisite for commercial fusion plants to generate a stable supply of electricity.
Building fusion reactors, which must be strong and stable enough to withstand such high temperatures, would also require significant manufacturing expertise.
“Confining a fuel which is hotter than the sun is a very big challenge, so we need components that can withstand that very challenging environment,” said Prof Chapman.
This involves selecting the right materials that are sturdy enough for such extreme temperatures to safely harnessing the heat without damaging the walls of the reactor to designing robots that can help to safely maintain and repair the plant’s components, he added.
Prof Chapman said: “What is a delight to find here (in Singapore) is that not only are there really competent companies that are (particularly strong) in, say, advanced manufacturing or the application of artificial intelligence... but equally, the willingness to think about taking their competence and applying it to a new problem set.”
When asked, a spokesman for ST Engineering said the company is “always exploring potential collaborations” to “advance innovation and technology” but discussions are often at a preliminary stage, and it is therefore not in a position to disclose any details at this time.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng had said in Parliament in March 2024 that Singapore is looking to see how it can contribute to the fusion supply chain by identifying local capabilities that are “fusion-relevant”.
Prof Chapman said: “Personally, I think that is the right strategy. You get involved in the supply chain, you can do that in an agnostic way... Because you’re involved in a big, complicated, integrated problem, I am almost certain you will develop (intellectual property) and technology that can be applied to other sectors.”
For example, if companies can come up with a heat exchanger that works under high heat loads, then this technology could also be applied to the aerospace or space industry, said Prof Chapman. Heat exchangers essentially convert the heat from the fusion process into steam for power generation.
At the same time, developing a fusion industry could allow Singapore to hedge for the long term should fusion concepts prove commercially viable as it would then be “an informed buyer” of fusion power plants and related technologies, said Prof Chapman.
“So not only do you get economic benefit today, but you’re also knowledgeable for tomorrow,” he added. Fusion technology is still at least a decade away from deployment in Singapore, according to authorities here.
UKAEA in July launched its own nuclear fusion project – known as the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, in what was widely described as Britain’s “Nasa moment”. The project’s construction will likely be completed by the 2040s.
Singapore has long positioned itself as an advanced manufacturing hub, anchoring industries from aerospace engineering to semiconductor manufacturing, where it leverages innovative technology, such as robotics and AI, to manufacture high-value products.
As such, some of Singapore’s economic strengths have spillover effects to the fusion industry, according to experts here.
For example, plasma is highly susceptible to “tearing”, which would then cause disruptions to the fusion process. But researchers have shown that AI can be harnessed to prevent this, allowing engineers to intervene early, said Professor Bo An, Nanyang Technological University’s President’s Chair in Computer Science and Engineering.
Leveraging its strength in producing high-performance materials, Singapore could also play a role in manufacturing some critical components of the fusion plant that are both resistant to heat and radiation, Prof Bo noted.
“Singapore has long been focused on developing advanced technologies for boosting high-tech industries, and developing the fusion industry could further accelerate the progress of relevant fields such as new material discovery, internet-of-things (IOT) solutions, and smart factories,” he added.
IOT refers to the networking capability that allows information to be sent and received from objects and devices using the internet.
The fusion industry has received US$7.1 billion (S$9.2 billion) to date, according to the Fusion Industry Association’s 2024 report.
Overall investor interest has grown over the past five years, with a lot more investments from large sovereign wealth funds like Temasek, to oil and gas companies and a broader range of venture capitalists, said Prof Chapman.
Temasek has invested in US fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems, and Canada’s General Fusion.
Not only is private capital getting mobilised quicker, “the right type” of partners are now getting involved in fusion, such as big engineering and energy firms, Prof Chapman added.
Already, some research institutes in Singapore have inked international collaboration partnerships to develop technical expertise in key areas.
In October 2023, NTU collaborated with France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for the launch of a new research centre for nuclear fusion, known as the Singapore Alliance with France for Fusion Energy. This will leverage CEA’s vast knowledge in plasma physics and NTU’s deep expertise in AI and machine learning, both organisations said in a statement then.
Local students will get the opportunity to do stints in France, and to put some of their ongoing research work to the test, and vice versa.
UKAEA has been in talks with A*Star to sync up potential areas of collaboration, said Prof Chapman, without going into details.
While A*Star declined to respond to all queries from ST on the kind of international collaborations it is pursuing, ST understands that it is in talks with Iter, a research and engineering megaproject based in France.
The project, which costs at least US$20 billion, is meant to be the world’s largest fusion experiment to demonstrate its feasibility at scale.
Dr Michael Walsh, who heads Iter’s diagnostics division, told ST that A*Star has been keen to contribute to the project in the area of diagnostics – which function as the “eyes and the ears” of the fusion reaction.
This involves using special software to monitor the plasma’s stability in real time, or fine-tuning the plant’s magnetic field, which controls the plasma’s movement, to prevent it from hitting the walls of the reactor, he noted.
This is crucial in stopping the plasma from cooling down, which will cause an immediate halt to the fusion reaction, said Dr Walsh. - The Straits Times/ANN
