Tanya Weaver Wed 4 Sep 2024
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/09/04/ukaea-unveils-technical-progress-being-made-uks-first-prototype-fusion-plant
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) provides a complete snapshot of the UK’s first-of-a-kind fusion powerplant prototype through 15 peer-reviewed papers in a publication produced by the Royal Society.
The UK’s first prototype fusion energy power plant, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), is currently under development by the UKAEA at a site in north Nottinghamshire , where characterisation works surveying ground and environment are well under way. The aim is for the plant to be operational by 2040.
STEP was first announced in 2019 when the UK government revealed it was committing £220m to its design. The reason for this substantial investment is that fusion is a potential source of almost limitless clean energy , which is vital amid rising energy prices and the climate crisis. However, it poses daunting engineering challenges in that fusion proves difficult to harness.
Researchers around the globe, including those at the STEP programme, are developing fusion reactors that effectively copy the process that powers the Sun – the collision of hydrogen atoms to release large amounts of energy.
The STEP programme, will be delivered by a public-private alliance led by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UKAEA, aims to demonstrate net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and a route to commercialisation.
A tokamak approach was chosen as it is the most advanced way of making fusion happen. According to UKAEA, a spherical tokamak is more compact than traditional tokamaks, aiming to minimise cost while maximising energy output, making it easier to scale.
STEP aims to pave the way for the commercial viability of fusion by demonstrating net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and a viable route to plant maintenance. By doing so, it stimulates the development of a new industry, positioning the UK at the forefront commercially.
Paul Methven, chief executive of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, said: “STEP is a UK-led national endeavour, for the world. It’s about unlocking the potential of cutting-edge science and technology that could revolutionise humanity’s future and, for the UK, secure a leading position in a new strategic technology.”
A complete snapshot of the prototype fusion plant design is available to read via 15 peer-reviewed papers in the STEP edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, entitled: ‘The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP): Pioneering Fusion Powerplant Design’ .
Methven said: “This Royal Society publication is a snapshot in time – the design will continue to evolve as we identify new challenges, learn and develop – and already the team has an impressive ability to find a way through the toughest problems.”
In May 2024, the STEP programme announced it had formed a partnership with the Czech Republic research organisation Centrum výzkumu Řež to build a test rig that will provide critical data in the development of the fusion plant.
The STEP programme is also currently in the process of selecting potential major industry partners, one in engineering and one in construction, to work alongside STEP’s fusion partner, UKAEA.
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