Seoul: South Korea seeks to begin staging nuclear fusion power generation tests in 2030 at the earliest, nearly 20 years ahead of its original schedule, the government announced, amid growing energy demand stemming from an artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Fusion Energy Committee announced the blueprint outlining the direction of its research in the sector, along with goals to secure eight related critical technologies, as per the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Nuclear fusion power is considered an option for generating cleaner and safer energy, as it does not produce carbon emissions while also generating less radioactive waste than nuclear fission.

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon stated in a release that nuclear fusion technology is a key area that will lead South Korea's innovation-driven growth. He emphasized the country's efforts to conduct nuclear fusion power generation tests in the 2030s to address rising electricity demand in the AI era and take a lead in the future energy industry.