Question: What is fusion energy?

Leah Morgan answered on 11 Nov 2020:

Hi Jayden!

Fusion energy is what the Sun uses to keep hot and bright. To get fusion energy, you have to bring two atoms so close that they squish together and make one atom. When they squish together, loads of energy is released – this is fusion energy. Fusion energy is low-carbon, safe, and doesn’t produce lots of radioactive waste.

The opposite of fusion energy is fission energy. Fission is how nuclear power plants work. To get fission energy, you have to split a big atom into two small atoms. When they split, they release fission energy. Fission is also low-carbon, but it’s not as safe and produces a lot of radioactive waste.

On Earth, we are trying to get really good at making fusion energy. We want to build fusion power stations so we can have lots of green energy! Where I work (at the UK Atomic Energy Authority) we are doing lots of research into the best way to do fusion! This includes research about: robots, radiation, and how to heat things to 150 million degrees!! :O