Fusion has long carried the reputation of being “30 years away”. Forever on the horizon but never quite arriving. That perception may finally be changing.

In this episode of Big Ideas Only, host Mikkel Svold is joined once again by Søren Bang-Korsholm, senior scientist at the Department of Physics at DTU. This time, the focus is on the practical future of fusion energy: what private companies are doing differently, how huge global projects like ITER fit into the picture, and what role fusion could play in the broader energy transition.

From billionaire-backed startups to the promise of grid-ready plants, Mikkel and Søren explore whether fusion can move beyond test facilities and become a true energy source for the 21st century.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

1. Why private investment is accelerating fusion research.

2. The scale and goals of the ITER project—the world’s biggest science collaboration.
3. How fusion could integrate into existing grids and even replace coal plants directly.
4. The role of fusion as a clean, reliable base load alongside renewables.
5. Potential use cases beyond electricity, including hydrogen production and desalination.
6. The biggest technical hurdles still standing in the way.
7. Why fusion’s commercialization might be closer than we think.

Episode content:

01:11 Why the “30 years away” joke may be outdated
05:14 Fusion’s role in the global energy transition
09:13 ITER: the world’s largest fusion project explained
12:27 Timelines: demonstration reactors in the 2030s
13:22 How fusion could plug straight into existing grids
18:25 What still needs solving before commercialization
30:16 Safety, waste, and why fusion differs from fission
31:50 The need for public-private collaboration in energy
34:17 How fusion could change daily life and global development

This podcast is produced by Montanus.