Global fusion project looks at recreating the sun's energy

Professor Thomas Klinger explains: “Stars are made of plasma, almost everything in the universe that emits light is in plasma state, so it's very common in the universe but very rare on earth. You have to create this state of matter, and for that you need to create a machine… We predict that this is close to the best possible magnetic field for confining this plasma state, for keeping the plasma hot.”

With over $1 billion invested in the project so far, the Wendelstein 7-X is one of a number of fusion projects worldwide. Outlining why so many resources are being invested in nuclear fusion, Eric Edlund a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says: “It's an amazing project. Its why I got into this line of work in the first place - to find a new energy source for us.”