Nuclear fusion, Aeneas:“New record for the European JET tokamak”

69 megajoules (MJ) of energy were achieved with 0.2 milligrams of fuel over 5 seconds, surpassing the previous world record of 59 MJ from 2022

ROME – The Joint European Torus (JET), the largest nuclear fusion experiment in the world, achieved a new record of energy produced (69 megajoules over a 5-second pulse) during the last and final experimental campaign, to which the main European laboratories coordinated by EUROfusion contributed.Italy is a partner with ENEA, CNR, Consorzio RFX and some universities.

The European EUROfusion consortium, following the verification and validation of the scientific data obtained in the deuterium and tritium (DT3) experiments at the end of 2023, has, in fact, announced today that on October 3, 2023, 69 megajoules (MJ) of energy were obtained with 0.2 milligrams of fuel over 5 seconds, surpassing the previous world record of 59 MJ from 2022.The DT3 experimental campaign confirmed the ability to replicate and improve the results of the high-energy fusion experiments already obtained and demonstrated the reliability of JET's operational methodologies, essential for the success of the international ITER experimental reactor currently under construction.

More than 300 scientists from all European fusion laboratories, with a strong Italian participation in key scientific and organizational leadership roles.
The main European laboratories coordinated by EUROfusion contributed to the success of the experiments.Italy is a partner with ENEA, the National Research Council - mainly through the Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (Cnr-Istp) - the RFX Consortium and some universities.

The Joint European Torus (JET) thus concluded its experimental life.It was the largest European fusion plant, the only one capable of operating with a fuel mixture of deuterium and tritium, the same high-performance mixture that will be used in future fusion power plants.