Solar energy, but in the truest sense of the word. Not by absorbing the rays through photovoltaic panels as is commonly done but by reproducing in a real way what happens inside the Sun. This is Eni's new challenge, that its battle for a greener future will be fought not with the energy from the Sun but with the energy of the Sun: it can also be called stellar energy, given that the Sun is a star, but technically the new technology tested by the Italian giant is a magnetic confinement fusion. In fact, the Sun produces its energy precisely in this way, through the fusion of two hydrogen atoms. And by replicating this mechanism it would happen 100% clean energy: without waste, unlike current nuclear power plants, without CO2 emissions, and even more concentrated, therefore more powerful in proportion.
The discovery is not Italian, God forbid: research is ongoing worldwide and a few hours ago the announcement of an important step forward for the transition from research to the industrial phase arrived from Boston. However, Eni has moved a long way forward, given that it is the first shareholder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a company born within MIT in Boston, and has announced that it has conducted "the first successful test in the world of the magnet with superconducting technology, which will ensure the confinement of the plasma in the magnetic fusion process”. Very technical language but it doesn't matter, because in essence it means that materials that can reach much higher temperatures were used to develop the fusion, thus guaranteeing the safety and effectiveness of the fusion process.
There is still a long way to go but the goal is to move from tests to practice within 10 years, a time horizon compatible with the deadline for oil companies set by the European Union in 2050, even if much earlier, in 2030, it will already be necessary to demonstrate that it has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 55%. For Eni, which still depends heavily on fossil energy, a turning point is necessary: continuing to invest in traditional renewables will not be enough and so far it has not seen the company led by Claudio Descalzi in a leading role, even if the latest industrial plan presented is less oil-dependent and in recent months Eni has notably expanded its wind farm, both in Italy and abroad. The group founded by Enrico Mattei has recently left behind the heavy judicial case on bribes in Nigeria and in 2021 the accounts have already returned to pre-Covid levels.
However, the green turnaround still does not convince environmentalists or the financial world, which is making sustainability a real sine qua non for investments. And he can't be blamed entirely, given that Eni is still hunting for hydrocarbon fields and just a few days ago it found one offshore off the Ivory Coast. But now stellar energy could arrive: “For Eni – reiterated the CEO Descalzi -, magnetic confinement fusion plays a central role in the decarbonisation process, as it will allow humanity to have large quantities of energy produced in safe, clean and virtually inexhaustible and without greenhouse gas emissions, forever changing the paradigm of power generation and contributing to an epochal turning point in the direction of human progress and quality of life. The extraordinary result obtained during the test demonstrates the strategic importance of our research partnerships in the energy sector and our contribution to the development of game changing technologies”.
