Many of these start-ups are developing powerful lasers that can generate fusion reactions. Others are looking at new fuels. They all share the same vision of being able to demonstrate that their technology can produce electricity at a competitive price in this decade, and then build commercial plants to supply electricity to power grids within the next 10 years.The new magnet for Commonwealth, one of the most powerful in the world, will play a critical role in a Tokamak-type compact nuclear fusion reactor. This design uses magnetic forces to compress plasma so that it heats up faster than the sun. It looks like a jar with a dome-shaped lid and magnets around it. It was originally designed by Soviet physicists in the 1950s.Executives at Commonwealth Fusion claim the magnet is a major technology breakthrough that will allow Tokamak designs to be commercially viable. Although they have not yet tested their reactor prototype, the researchers are working on the magnet and hope to make it workable by 2025.Scientists in Massachusetts are hopeful that they will be able to demonstrate a magnetic field almost twice as strong than the magnets being used by a global consortium consisting of six countries and the European Union. This group is currently assembling a Cadarache, France reactor. In 2035, the consortium plans to start generating electricity from the site.Bob Mumgaard is chief executive of Commonwealth and a plasma physicist. He stated that it is possible to create a device one-fiftieth as large as the French reactor, which would be about the same size as a soccer pitch. It would be capable of producing almost the same amount of power.
