This U.K. Startup Is Trying to Change How We Get Energy

(Bloomberg) -- One day, mankind may no longer need fossil fuel to power homes, buildings or anything else for that matter. Instead, there will be fusion, a form of energy so strong that just one kilogram of fuel can generate as much power as 10 million kilograms of coal.

It’s the power behind the stars; it’s when hydrogen joins together to make helium; and for decades, it’s been tantalizingly out of reach.

In the first installment of Moonshot, a Bloomberg Originals series, we look at the startups and scientists working to harness the “holy grail of energy.” Their research has already caught the attention of billionaires, with investments from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

While governments have pursued fusion’s promise for almost half a century, a group of researchers at Tokamak Energy in the U.K. hope to accelerate humanity’s progress toward the ultimate renewable goal. If fusion can someday be made scalable and affordable, it will remake how our world works while providing a wonder weapon with which to combat global warming.

“Fusion is clean, it’s green, it’s safe, but it’s really hard to do if the conditions aren’t perfect,” says Tokamak’s Dr. Melanie Windridge.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Rovella at drovella@bloomberg.net

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