Fusion’s Next Gear: High‑Density Tokamak Regime and an ICF Roadmap Turn Milestones into a Plan for Power
If fusion power plants are the marathon of clean energy, 2025 feels like the moment elites turn the final corner and start sprinting. Two developments stand out. In magnetic fusion, researchers report a tokamak plasma regime that operates ≈20% above a long-assumed density limit while holding energy about ≈50% better than the standard H‑mode used for decades. According to A high-density and high-confinement tokamak plasma regime for fusion energy, that combination moves closer to the practical operating point a commercial reactor will need by simultaneously lifting two of the Lawson pillars. On the inertial side, the focus is shifting from single-shot headlines to system design. According to Future for inertial-fusion energy in Europe: a roadmap, researchers outline a staged program to transform ignition-class shots into repeatable, efficient operations—covering drivers, targets, chambers, and the fuel cycle—explicitly tying physics gains to plant engineering milestones. This article puts impact first. It explains what these milestones mean for costs and timelines, unpacks the physics in plain language, quantifies key uncertainties, and shows how the latest results move the yardsticks that determine whether fusion can deliver reliable, affordable, zero-carbon energy.