The Joint European Torus (JET), one of the world’s largest and most advanced fusion energy tokamaks, is marking its 40th anniversary on 25th June.

Originally designed for eight years of experiments, JET has exceeded expectations and contributed significantly to the development of fusion energy.

Using magnetic fields to confine superheated plasma, JET has achieved groundbreaking milestones in fusion science.

JET, operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), has achieved significant milestones in fusion research since 1983.

It created the first deuterium-tritium plasma, set world records for fusion energy, and demonstrated the potential for fusion power plants.

With over 103,000 plasma experiments conducted, JET continues to play a vital role in advancing fusion research.

JET’s success has paved the way for ITER, an international tokamak experiment under construction in France.

The knowledge gained from JET will contribute to ITER’s goal of demonstrating fusion’s viability on a larger scale.

Professor Sir Ian Chapman, Chief Executive Officer of UKAEA, said: “JET is the most important fusion experiment ever and it has left an indelible mark on history. Without JET, the fusion field would not be where it is today.

“The fact that we got the record power in 1997 gave us confidence to go ahead and build ITER and the 2021 results give us confidence that we are on track for taking the next step towards fusion powerplants. These things just would not be happening without JET.

“JET is also both a literal and a metaphorical big magnet that draws people and partners to Culham. As well as being at the forefront of pioneering science, is also at the forefront of developing partnership in industry.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/06/23/jet-celebrates-40-years-of-fusion-energy-progress/