Public evening lecture by Professor Dr. Thomas Klinger (Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald)

For decades, scientists have been researching the possibility of harnessing the processes of solar energy production on Earth. Nuclear fusion - the fusion of light hydrogen nuclei to form helium - holds enormous potential as an almost inexhaustible, safe and climate-friendly source of energy. However, its technical implementation represents one of the greatest challenges of modern physics and engineering.
The lecture will provide an overview of the current status of fusion research and the next steps on the way to a commercial fusion power plant. The focus will be on the remaining physical and technological hurdles and the progress made by large-scale experiments such as Wendelstein 7-X in Greifswald. This facility, one of the world's leading fusion research projects, demonstrates the possibilities and limits of stellarator technology. The lecture places these developments in the broader context of the global energy transition and discusses the question of whether and when fusion can make a sustainable contribution to the energy supply of the future.