this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2025
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Startup Claims Its Fusion Reactor Concept Can Turn Cheap Mercury Into Gold (gizmodo.com)
submitted 2 days ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Last week, Marathon Fusion, a San Francisco-based energy startup, submitted a preprint detailing an action plan for synthesizing gold particles via nuclear transmutation—essentially the process of turning one element into another by tweaking its nucleus. The paper, which has yet to undergo peer review, argues that the proposed system would offer a new revenue stream from all the new gold being produced, in addition to other economic and technological benefits.

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[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

5 metric tons of gold created per GWh of electricity

per GW. 5000kg over whole year of 1gw reactor going almost continuous. While there is no theoretical possiblity of creating economically viable fusion energy, a minimum reactor size would be 10gw. Needs 1gw of backup fission to provide stable power input, and make the deuterium.

$500M/gw in gold revenue could make a difference in the economics. If fusion cost 2x what fission costs per gw, ($30/w) then it would make back its cost in gold only over 60 years, @$100/gram.