Overview

• Marathon Fusion’s paper describes using fusion-generated fast neutrons to trigger (n,2n) reactions in mercury-198 that produce unstable mercury-197, which decays into gold-197.
• The company claims a one-gigawatt fusion power plant could yield about 5,000 kilograms of gold annually without reducing its electricity output or tritium breeding.
• Techno-economic projections indicate gold byproduct revenues could match earnings from electricity sales, potentially doubling the economic value of fusion facilities.
• The proposed transmutation method has not been peer-reviewed or experimentally demonstrated, prompting experts to call for independent validation.
• Marathon Fusion warns that produced gold may contain radioactive isotopes requiring up to 18 years of storage, leading to stringent safety and regulatory considerations.