A new independent report commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), a non-profit dedicated to advancing carbon-free energy solutions and developing innovative strategies to combat climate change, demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial to unlocking the potential of fusion energy.
Fusion is the process that powers the sun, and occurs when two atomic nuclei combine to release energy. It relies on common materials like water and lithium, and has the potential to generate vast amounts of carbon-free energy, while producing no radioactive waste which would require long-term storage.
In order to accelerate the commercialisation of fusion energy, there is a need for new technology, materials, and inventions. Before the use of cloud computing and AI, fusion's rate of progress was set by empirical science: building machines, testing ideas, generating datasets, and then choosing the next design based on empirical scaling. This manual design process could take years or even decades to progress.
Today’s report from CATF, which is supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS), finds that AI can fast forward fusion’s energy development by enhancing research, optimising designs, improving diagnostics, and streamlining workflows.
European and British companies are playing an important role in fusion innovation. By 2050, the European Fusion Market is expected to surpass $4 billion, highlighting its technological and economic potential. The UK is poised to become an important player in the fusion supply chain, particularly in high-temperature superconductor magnets. British startups are backed by the Government’s public-private partnerships, including the Fusion Futures Programme, which aims to accelerate development in the UK.
The publication comes at a critical moment for the energy transition. As nations, governments, businesses and society move to electrify and digitalise, the demand for carbon-free energy is increasing dramatically. By advancing fusion energy technologies, AI can further power the digital transformation of industries by delivering scalable carbon-free energy to grids in a way that complements existing renewable energy technologies like wind and solar.
Amazon’s focus on sustainable innovation
Amazon, including AWS, has had a long commitment to driving innovative new solutions in the fight against climate change, as we work to meet our Climate Pledge commitment of net-zero carbon by 2040. As part of this commitment, we have continued to invest in carbon-free energy solutions, including more than 500 wind and solar projects worldwide, and reaching our renewable energy goal seven years early. As a result, we are the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the last four years, according to Bloomberg NEF.
AWS’s support for this report is in line with its approach of democratising access to AI-technologies to generate value for start-ups, businesses, and public institutions worldwide. By providing the cloud infrastructure and AI tools essential for innovation, AWS empowers its customers to achieve significant advancements not just in the energy sector, but across the global economy.
Among AWS’s customers leading the way in the energy transition is Realta Fusion, a revolutionary fusion energy company based in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Realta employs AWS’s cutting-edge cloud infrastructure and AI capabilities to run large-scale simulations crucial to developing their fusion devices. Within the report, Realta’s CEO Kieran Furlong explained how “AWS was able to provide the capacity we needed to push forward with our simulations,” underscoring AWS’s role in advancing society’s shift toward carbon-free energy.
Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy in EMEA at Amazon, said: “At Amazon, we're committed to investing and supporting a wide array of carbon-free energy technologies, storage and grid modernisation that can help us progress toward our Climate Pledge commitment to achieve net-zero carbon across our operations by 2040, and advancing society's transition to a lower carbon energy system for all. Fusion Energy is a cutting-edge technology with the potential to transform the energy system and provide carbon-free energy consistently at scale. AI has a critical role in unlocking the technical challenges facing fusion technology and accelerating its commercialisation.”
Dr Simon Woodruff, lead author of the report from Fusion Advisory Services, said: “AI is proving to be a game-changer for fusion research, unlocking new insights and accelerating progress in ways that were unimaginable even a few years ago. By leveraging the power of AI, we are significantly enabling its commercialisation, which could play a key role in addressing global energy challenges by providing baseload carbon-free energy.”
Sehila Gonzalez, Global Director of Fusion Energy at CATF, said: “Meaningful progress in the fight against climate change depends on strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. Our report highlights how such collaboration can drive clean energy innovation, and we are delighted that AWS has chosen to support this important work.”
In addition to its support of this report, AWS is committed to continuing its collaboration with public institutions, private sector partners, and regulators to accelerate the development of carbon-free energy technologies. Looking ahead, AWS will continue to support energy companies and start-ups that are developing these cutting-edge technologies. By creating synergies between AI and fusion energy, AWS aims to foster and support sustainable, scalable energy solutions for the future.
Find out more about how Amazon is leveraging AI to drive sustainability here.
