ecoHQ

Did you know that AI uses up 8% of the world’s energy?

In my previous article, I mentioned how AI is guzzling so much water to cool its data servers that we might soon be glaring at an energy crisis.

What does nuclear fusion have to do with it?

Only nuclear fusion energy and hydropower (in specific locations) could offer non-stop electricity without interruptions to match the needs of global development. Currently, gas and coal compensate for the intermittent wind and solar energy supply.

Nuclear energy uses the least amount of land: 0.3 m2  per MWh (megawatt hour of electricity). In comparison, solar (land-based/rooftop) uses anywhere between 1.2 m2  per MWh and 22 m2  per MWh because we also consider the land used for mining critical minerals necessary to build solar equipment. 

Electricity from nuclear energy is less prone to cost fluctuations than conventional electricity produced from oil and gas. Energy generated from nuclear fusion is 4 million times more than coal or oil. 

It has the least cradle-to-grave carbon footprint compared to other renewable energy sources, as it also needs fewer materials for its infrastructure. Nuclear fusion energy (compared to nuclear fission) is an emission-free source and leaves no radioactive waste.

It could be the second safest energy source if we manage nuclear waste (including equipment, machinery, materials, infrastructure, protective suits, etc) through policies and regulations.

Though a nuclear power plant consumes upfront costs for infrastructure, it could be the cheapest source of low-carbon energy if you consider its lifespan. 

Should we fear tech oligarchy?

YES. 

So, the tech giants leading the AI race are also scrambling to own nuclear power plants, especially Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to gain energy autonomy and cost control. 

For instance, Microsoft has agreed to purchase electricity from Helion Energy (a company backed by Sam Altman, who founded OpenAI. He also owns Oklo Inc., another advanced nuclear technology company. Bill Gates owns TerraPower, which works on a sodium nuclear reactor, while AWS gets its nuclear energy from Talen Energy. Alphabet has invested about 250 million USD in nuclear fusion startups. 

I will examine this issue in depth in my upcoming articles. 

The above information on tech giants obsessing over nuclear-fusion investments becomes excessively relevant because there is a geopolitical race for domination over critical minerals and rare earth elements necessary to build renewable energy (like solar), including nuclear reactors, EVs, Space infrastructure, Defence infrastructure, electronics, and more. 

Check out my previous blog on the same for more context.

The race for nuclear power domination

Last year, at COP28, 35 countries signed an international partnership to make nuclear fusion the next low-carbon clean energy source. Due to this collaboration, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor, was completed in France. 

Several legislations, policy amendments, and plans surrounding nuclear fusion have emerged over the last few years. There are more than 90 nuclear fusion pilot projects worldwide, with a few under construction and more to come. 

While at the outset, it may seem like a genuine collaboration for a cleaner, greener, and just world, geopolitical tensions across various borders tell us otherwise.

Many countries are trying to gain a competitive advantage by strengthening their defence infrastructure and fostering diplomatic relations through trade.  

The energy industry has notoriously shaped world politics: the wars for the BIG OIL dominance) have now been replaced by wars for critical minerals and rare earth elements. 

Consider the Russia – Ukraine (backed by the US and NATO) and the Israel – Palestine conflict now has been escalated to the Israel (backed by the US) – Iran (backed by Russia) conflict (with potential escalations possible in Lebanon and Syria). 

It is not too far-fetched for me to say that several countries are forming alliances and rivalries to gain new-generation energy dependence and monopolies. 

Consider this:

The US Senator calls Ukraine a gold mine with critical minerals worth up to 12 trillion USD and doesn’t want to lose those to Russia and China. 

Right now, China (the world’s mineral superpower) dominates supply chains in clean tech, EV, battery-recycling tech, critical mineral and rare earth element mining and processing, apart from holding the most number of patents for nuclear fusion technology supply chains. 

The materials used to build nuclear fusion power plants also create nuclear fuel for munitions and weapons. 

Though Russia received sanctions from the West due to its conflict with Ukraine, European countries have been dependent on the country for nuclear fuel and Uranium. About one in five nuclear plants globally is either Russian-owned or Russian-built. 

We know that the United States, Russia, and China have the strongest militaries in the world.  

While the United States (US) reactors have been running on Russia’s Uranium, President Biden recently signed legislation to ban Uranium imports from Russia with a couple of waivers (if the US establishes that no alternative source is available for those reactors).  The US also depends on China for Graphite; China owns 80% of the world’s graphite production. Graphite is a key material used to build your tech, EVs, batteries, etc. It is the ideal material needed for aerospace and defence equipment and infrastructure. 

Is America implicitly inciting wars and conflicts (under the guise of de-escalation) on various soils by supplying munition to get more territorial and trade control? 

Now, if, hypothetically, America needs to fight a war with Russia and China directly, its military depends on Russian and Chinese minerals (to build its military equipment and machinery). Can this get any more ironic and hypocritical?

It is also interesting to note that BRIC—an intergovernmental organisation created for investment opportunities and multilateral trade—includes the following countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. With conflicts escalating in the Middle East, we can have a good guess at how alliances could be formed. 

I would request America to ban gun violence in schools and give that ammunition to its military instead. 

The world powered by Nuclear-fusion energy and plagued by nuclear wars is imminent. 

Credits

This article is written by Deepa Sai, the founder of ecoHQ

Sources

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