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☆ Why we don't have fusion power plants yet, and what it'll take to get clean, limitless energy to market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Two experts explain how long it could take until fusion power plants are possible. Fusion plants could theoretically produce almost 4 million times as much energy as burning coal or oil — with none of the carbon emissions. It's what Andrew Christlieb, who is part of a US Department of Energy fusion project at Michigan State University, calls "step zero." The US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences program has a $763 million budget for 2023, which could grow to over $1 billion next year. Achieving commercial fusion power in two decades won't be quick enough to address many countries' goals of adapting clean energy and limiting global warming by 2035.

Persons: It's, Andrew Christlieb, Christlieb, Michael Livingston, PPPL, Jean, Paul Pelissier, it's, Jason Laurea, Lawrence, Jonathan Menard, Menard, Bill Gates, Sam Altman Organizations: Service, Ignition, NIF, US Department of Energy, Michigan State University, Royal Society, Reactor, REUTERS, European Union, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics, US Department of Energy's Fusion Energy Sciences, Fusion Industry Association, Tech Locations: PPPL, Saint, Durance , Southern France, US, China, Russia, Lawrence Livermore, Princeton

Still, oil demand at the world's biggest oil importer has so "far remained remarkably unaffected by its economic downturn", the IEA said. Estimates of global demand and supply this year and next differ markedly depending on the forecaster. The IEA estimates 2023 global demand to grow by 2.2 million bpd, while OPEC expects growth of 2.44 million bpd. The IEA expects growth to slow sharply to 1 million bpd, while OPEC has a far rosier estimate of 2.25 million bpd. Meanwhile, the U.S government's Energy Information Administration has forecast demand growth at 1.81 million bpd for 2023 and 1.36 million bpd next year.

Persons: Jean, Paul Pelissier, Tamas Varga, PVM, Natalie Grover, Alex Lawler, Louise Heavens, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies, Rights Companies Danang Petroleum Machinery Technology JSC, International Energy Agency, OPEC, Brent, IEA, U.S government's Energy, Administration, Thomson Locations: Marseille, France, Rights Companies Danang, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, United States, Brazil, Iran, China, Asia, Africa, Latin America, London

☆ German economic weakness belies France's outperformance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Leigh Thomas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The European Commission said on Monday the two economies were on diverging paths this year with Germany forecast to be in a recession with a 0.4% contraction and France expected to grow 1.0%. With weak construction and declining construction investment weighing on Europe's biggest economy, Germany's outlook was slashed from a previous forecast for 0.2% growth while France was upgraded from 0.7%. The contrasting fortunes of the euro zone's two biggest economies can also be explained by tailwinds working against Germany and headwinds helping France. Germany's gas-hungry chemical industry has seen production fall 18% from 2019 levels while in France it is only 8%, Colombier said. That leaves few props to lend support to French growth going forward other than household savings.

Persons: Jean, Paul Pelissier, Germany's, Mathieu, tailwinds, headwinds, Charles, Henri Colombier, Colombier, Plane, Leigh Thomas, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, European, Germany, France's Finance, Thomson Locations: Marseille, Fos, Fos sur Mer, France, Germany, PARIS, Paris

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