“三步走”实现激光聚变商业运行

Core Insights - The team led by Zhang Jie aims to achieve ignition through laser fusion by 2028, following a "three-step" plan to light the future with laser fusion technology [1][2] - The U.S. National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved output exceeding input in late 2022, with a roadmap targeting commercial operation by 2045, although it faces inherent physical challenges [1] - Zhang Jie proposes a different approach to overcome these challenges, having validated the feasibility of separating the compression and heating processes through 11 large-scale experiments over the past six years [1] Summary by Sections Research and Development - The research base for laser fusion is being established in Jiading, with plans to complete the first commercial laser fusion power station in Shanghai by 2030 [2] - The goal is to enhance laser fusion gain and develop key technologies to achieve a frequency of 50 Hz, significantly higher than the U.S. target of 10 Hz [1][2] Economic Impact - The projected electricity price for U.S. laser fusion by 2045 is estimated at 0.37 RMB per kilowatt-hour, while Zhang Jie anticipates that China's price could be around half of that [2] - A 50 Hz, one-million-kilowatt laser fusion power station could supply electricity for a city with a population of 2 million and is expected to stimulate a trillion-yuan industry chain across upstream and downstream sectors [2]