Fusion science and energy transition - Prof. Piero Martin (Università di Padova, Centro inter. "B. Segre", Accademia dei Lincei, DTT scarl e Consorzio RFX)

by Piero Martin (Università Padova)

Wednesday 13 Nov 2024, 13:30 → 14:30 Europe/Rome

In recent times controlled thermonuclear fusion has attracted significant public, scientific, and financial interest and proposes itself as a potential player in achieving zero emissions. Scientists expect that fusion will become a key component of the global energy mix in the second half of this century, and a crucial player in a net-zero scenario.
This seminar will summarize the scientific situation globally, analyzing the opportunities and the critical issues. The talk will discuss the DTT experiment, currently under construction in Italy. DTT will become one of the world's main experiments and is a candidate to solve the crucial problem of the high energy flow management in a future fusion plant.
In the second part of the talk we will discuss how, thus far, the scientists have considered fusion as a largely technical challenge. However, as the science progresses and the realization of fusion comes closer, it necessitates conversations about non-technical issues associated with this energy source, including diverse social and ethical implications. An analysis of these challenges will be provided.