Big, bigger, biggest: Record-breaking energy innovations

Can nuclear fusion become a reliable energy source? The challenge is sustaining plasma under extreme conditions. Research facilities in France, South Korea, China and Germany have set new records. In May 2025, the Wendelstein 7-X reactor in Greifswald achieved a world record, maintaining this crucial plasma for 43 seconds. Fusion is far safer than fission and produces no long-lived radioactive waste. By contrast, fission accidents can release massive amounts of radioactive material, as happened in Fukushima and Chernobyl. We also visit Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 reactor, a mega battery project in Germany that promises to ensure reliable renewable energy, and a wastewater plant that's turning into an energy hub. And we explore how green hydrogen from Africa could power the global energy transition.