HB11 Energy Demonstrates Nuclear Fusion Using Laser

Australia's first fusion energy company HB11 Energy has demonstrated a world-first 'material' number of fusion reactions by a private company, producing ten times more fusion reactions than expected based on earlier experiments at the same facility.

HB11 Energy's world-first results were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Applied Sciences, and demonstrate non-thermal fusion of hydrogen and boron-11 using high-power lasers.

This approach was predicted in the 1970's at UNSW by Australian theoretical physicist and HB11 Energy co-founder, Professor Heinrich Hora, and differs radically from most other fusion efforts to date that require heating of hydrogen isotopes to millions of degrees.

Accordingly, the demonstration overcomes this technical hurdle that has held the field back for decades and prevented most other fusion companies from demonstrating any fusion reactions.

The experiment was a collaboration involving many of HB11 Energy's growing list of international academic partners, and was led by HB11 Energy Lead Scientist Dimitri Batani and collaborator Daniele Margarone.

The results position HB11 Energy one huge step closer to creating clean, safe, and reliable energy at better prices and in greater abundance than all existing renewable energy sources combined.

Dr Warren McKenzie, Founder & MD of HB11 Energy, says: "The demonstration of fusion reactions alone is incredibly exciting. But on top of this, the unexpectedly high number of reactions additionally gives us important information about how to optimise our technology to further increase the fusion energy we can create.