Let’s clear this up: the beryllium in a FLiBe blanket isn’t just there for decoration — it’s serving an important job as a neutron multiplier. So yes, some of it (a small fraction) does get consumed during normal tritium breeding operations. But “enormously huge”? Not so much.
Here are some OpenMC simulation results showing how 14.1 MeV fusion neutrons interact inside a 1-meter-thick FLiBe blanket:
- In 2:1 LiF:BeF₂ (mol ratio), about 18% of source neutrons undergo a ⁹Be(n,2n) reaction.
- In 1:1 LiF:BeF₂, that rises to 26% of source neutrons undergoing ⁹Be(n,2n).
So, if each fusion neutron has an 18%–26% chance of triggering one of those reactions (and effectively “consuming” a beryllium atom), what does that mean for a real plant?
For a 1 GW thermal DT fusion plant, the beryllium consumption would be around:
- 6.2 kg/year for 2:1 FLiBe
- 8.9 kg/year for 1:1 FLiBe
That’s it. Not 500 tons. Not hundreds of trucks. Just a few kilograms per year — more like a suitcase full, not a supply chain crisis.
So no, that’s not an “enormously huge” supply. That’s a rounding error in industrial terms.