HB11 Energy established a new alliance to comprehensively improve Australia's independent capability of laser fusion technology

Recently, LLNL of the United States successfully achieved "net energy gain" in nuclear fusion reaction for the first time, which has become a major breakthrough in the dominating scientific and technological circle. Although the commercialization of controllable nuclear fusion will take at least several decades, many enterprises and research institutions are already rushing into this track.

Recently, HB11 Energy, Australia's first laser fusion energy company, announced the establishment of a new alliance. The company plans to attract global laser technology heavyweight enterprises to Australia to seek to establish independent capabilities in the field of laser nuclear fusion, which has not yet been commercialized.

HB11 Energy plans to build ultra-high intensity petawatt laser facilities in Australia, bringing new technologies to the country, including clean fusion Energy power generation, independent advanced manufacturing capabilities, and ultra short and short pulse laser (USPL) education and talents.

Image source: HB11 Energy

It is reported that the alliance covers global laser technology leaders including Nobel laureates, aiming to develop new Australian laser industry and laser fusion technology. To be specific, the alliance created by HB11 Energy has now brought together Thales Group, a multinational engineering company, EX Fusion, Japan's first laser fusion company, Adelaide University, a long-term global leader in high-energy laser science, the Laser Engineering Research Institute of Osaka University, Japan, BECA, an engineering company, and Southern Photonics, a laser component manufacturer.

The experts behind the alliance also include: Nobel laureate Professor Donna Strickland, who invented the technology to achieve high power; Professor Heinrich Hora, co-founder of HB11 Energy, has been focusing on the field of laser fusion since the 1960s; And Professor John Harvey, CEO of Southern Photonics. The objectives of the Alliance are:

- Achieve Australia's Petawatt laser capability as an important international investment in research infrastructure;

- Building the capacity of partners to participate in large scientific partnerships, including public-private partnerships (ppp) for laser fusion energy;

- Development of applications for ultra short and short pulse laser (USPL) systems, including directed energy and laser fusion for clean energy power generation;

- Identify laser design, engineering and development opportunities, and take them as investment priorities to acquire Australia Paiwa Laser;

- Establish an independent advanced manufacturing industry for key components of USPL system;

- Establish a team of USPL experts in science, design and manufacturing as the basis for developing emerging industries.

HB11 Energy believes that achieving these goals will greatly promote Australia to become a global sustainable energy superpower, making nuclear fusion energy a core component of the future clean energy structure. In addition to nuclear fusion energy, petawatt level lasers have a series of applications, including promoting medical imaging and radiobiology, advanced sensing, directional energy and eliminating long-lived radioactive waste.

Dr. Warren McKenzie, founder and managing director of HB11 Energy, said: "Australia needs a large-scale solution because it is phasing out its traditional energy system and embracing clean energy. Nuclear fusion is a clean energy that does not use any radioactive fuel and does not produce radioactive waste. It has the scale of nuclear reactors and the security of traditional renewable energy. It can also generate electricity directly without the need for a steam cycle.

Gary Dawson, vice president of Thales' Australian strategy, said: "The ultra short pulse and high peak power laser technology developed and manufactured by Thales is crucial to this alliance. We are very happy to cooperate with this international team in the forefront of fusion energy research." Thales is committed to supporting the development of global clean energy solutions and is a long-term investor in advanced technology research in Australia.

At present, there are 71 ultra-high intensity laser facilities worldwide. Although Australia is outstanding in laser science and technology, the entire southern hemisphere, including the country, does not have an ultra-high intensity laser facility. This makes Australian companies such as HB11 Energy rely heavily on highly competitive overseas facilities, severely limiting local research and business capabilities.

In 1931, Mark Oliphant, a South Australian, demonstrated nuclear fusion by splitting atoms. The latest breakthrough has pushed laser nuclear fusion to the forefront of the global energy production competition. At present, the lack of lasers that can support the operation of fusion experiments has become a major bottleneck in promoting the development of laser nuclear fusion, which provides Australia with the opportunity to develop the next generation of dedicated laser systems and advanced manufacturing. The establishment of a Pawa laser facility in Australia can not only expand key research in physics, energy science, quantum electrodynamics and astrophysics, but also create new industrial opportunities, international partnerships, industries and applications.

HB11 Energy has been committed to achieving bold net energy goals through the non thermal fusion process developed by its co-founder, Professor Heinrich Hora. In May this year, the company obtained a project worth 22 million dollars to build the commercial capacity of independent nuclear fusion energy and develop a new type of Paiwa laser technology suitable for hydrogen boron fusion. Earlier this year, HB11 Energy also verified the non thermal fusion of hydrogen and boron 11, and improved the potential feasibility of this technology.

Source: OFweek