Laser Inertial Fusion-Fission Energy

The planet faces a major challenge in the first half of this century to close the gap between the projected energy demand and the supply of sustainable, carbon-free, affordable energy. Today, more than 80 percent of the world’s total primary energy demand is met with fossil fuels, which emit significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. This situation has implications for our geopolitical energy security and political stability, climate, public health and the world’s ecosystem. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), researchers are developing a fusion-based system known as Laser Inertial Fusion Energy, or LIFE, to address these challenges. LIFE offers a fundamentally different and highly accelerated path to reaching commercial fusion energy. A LIFE power plant would produce essentially no greenhouse gas emissions, operate continuously to meet baseload demand, produce minimal waste products, and be safe, sustainable, and non-proliferant. LIFE builds upon technology advances achieved in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at LLNL, which is now operational and rapidly progressing toward the demonstration of fusion ignition. NIF is the world’s largest and highest energy laser and a key investment in our energy future. It is the largest single scientific project ever successfully completed by the Department of Energy (DOE). The talk will discuss LIFE and its roadmap for helping meet the goal of abundant, secure, and clean energy for the world’s population.