08/07/2026
Congratulations to Dr. Hao Chen, Dr. Michael Carbajales-Dale, collaborators from Clemson University and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and UK-based fusion company Tokamak Energy Ltd. on publishing a new paper in Environmental Impact Assessment Review: “Enabling Sustainable Fusion Fuel Cycles: A Comparative Life-Cycle Assessment of Emerging Tritium Extraction and Removal Technologies for Liquid Lithium Systems.” Fusion is about more than achieving high plasma performance or maximizing energy output — a viable deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion power plant also depends on a sustainable fuel cycle, especially tritium breeding, recovery, and recycling. Tritium (3H) is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and a key fuel for D-T fusion energy. In this study, the team presents the first comparative cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment of four emerging tritium extraction and removal technologies for liquid lithium systems, providing early guidance on how process design, electricity supply, material requirements, and technology maturity shape environmental performance and R&D priorities. This research is part of Clemson University’s Energy-Economy-Environment (E3) Systems Analysis Group’s broader effort to integrate life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno economic analysis (TEA) into fusion technology development, helping ensure that future fusion power plants are both commercially viable and environmentally sustainable. The project was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives and the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, with additional support from Tokamak Energy Ltd. Read the paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195925526003288. Go Tigers
