The Institution of Engineering and Technology will be hosting a talk tonight (Thursday) in Newport on the subject of Nuclear Fusion.
Tonight’s talk by Robin Stafford Allen FIMechE outlines the problem with energy supply for the coming century. He’ll then explain the principles and techniques used in fusion research reactors to work toward a usable and realistic energy source.
An expected rise in global population and better living standards could lead to a two to fourfold increase in energy consumption this century. At present, over 80% of the developed world’s energy comes from fossil fuels. Environmental problems – the greenhouse effect and the effects of acidic pollution – and diminishing fuel supplies mean that reliance on coal, gas and oil will have to be severely constrained.
Fusion, the process powering the sun, offers the possibility of a secure, long-term source of supply, with important advantages. These include: no production of greenhouse gases from the fusion process; no long-lived radioactive waste; inherent safety features; and almost unlimited fuel supplies. Fusion, therefore, could have a key role to play in the energy market of the future, with the potential to produce at least 20% of the world’s electricity by 2100.
Where and when
The event takes place tonight (29 January) between 19:00-21:00 at the Bargeman’s Rest, Newport Harbour
Book tickets in advance
