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The L.INT research group headed by professor Chris Lee, Divertor Triage for Fusion, has now been active for over a year. As a researcher at Fontys Hogeschool, he is in close contact with researchers at DIFFER, including Ivo Classen (group leader Plasma Edge Physics and Diagnostics). 

Can we use plasma technology to change the way we produce nitrogen fertilizers, without carbon emissions? PhD researcher Qinghao Shen explored how renewable electricity powers cleaner nitrogen fixation. Advanced computer models reveal how to make this process more energy-efficient and industrially viable. On 29 October he successfully defended his thesis.

Fusion energy could provide clean, limitless electricity, but keeping fusion energy devices stable is incredibly complex. Scientists working on the UK fusion machine MAST Upgrade and at the Dutch research institute DIFFER have made important progress in two key areas.

International experiments at the UK fusion machine MAST Upgrade in Culham, led by Dutch researchers, demonstrate how the innovative 'Super-X' design offers major advantages in handling the heat exhaust of fusion energy machines. Successfully managing the exhaust is one of the major hurdles in realising fusion energy.

The harsh environment inside future fusion power plants demands wall materials that do not crack or melt under the intense conditions.