South Korea considering building nuclear fusion plant by 2040

Seoul, Jul 07, 2005 -- BBC Monitoring

South Korea is considering building a nuclear fusion reactor by 2040 to provide a fresh source of electricity for households, the science ministry said Thursday [7 July].

The Ministry of Science and Technology said that it is working to establish a nuclear fusion energy development programme to utilize nuclear fusion energy within the next 35 years. The ministry will hold a public hearing on Friday to collect opinions from industry experts and academics to decide on fundamental parts of the plan, such as what infrastructure needs to be established and uniform technical standards. Nuclear fusion produces an alternative energy derived from an artificial sun made of hydrogen. It is environmentally friendly and there are no limits to its production capacity. Developed nations are already stepping up efforts to commercialize it by 2035. South Korea has been developing its own super-conductor nuclear fusion experiment facility, dubbed the KSTAR, since 1995. It is also taking part in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor construction project along with the United States, Japan, China and other nations.

Source: Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 0622 gmt 7 Jul 05

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