European scientists set nuclear fusion energy record

European scientists on Wednesday announced fresh progress in the drive to make nuclear fusion a practical, safe and clean energy source, saying an experiment at a site in England set a record for the amount of fusion energy produced, more than doubling the previous mark.

Researchers said they achieved 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy - the same process that powers stars including the sun - at a facility in Culham, near Oxford.

Ian Chapman, the head of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, described it as a landmark event that moves researchers closer to conquering one of the biggest challenges in science. It exceeded the previous mark of just under 22 megajoules of total energy achieved in 1997, they said.

Scientists have cautioned that years of work are still needed, and the level of energy achieved so far is modest. The energy produced in the latest experiment, for instance, was enough to boil about 60 kettles of water.

"We're building the knowledge and developing the new technology required to deliver a low carbon, sustainable source of baseload energy that helps protect the planet for future generations," Ian Chapman said. "Our world needs fusion energy."