Plant in central England vital to deployment of future nuclear plants
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Italy-based energy company Eni have signed an agreement to jointly conduct research and development in fusion energy, starting with the construction of the world’s largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility, which will produce a vital fuel for future fusion power stations.
UKAEA, the UK’s national organisation responsible for the research and delivery of fusion energy, said the UKAEA-Eni H3AT (pronounced “heat”) tritium loop facility will be bult at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, central England, and will be complete in 2028.
UKAEA said tritium recovery and re-use will play a fundamental role in the supply and generation of the fuel in future fusion power plants and will be crucial in making the technology increasingly efficient.
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally in the atmosphere and is also a byproduct of nuclear reactors. It is a potential fuel for future fusion power plants.
UKAEA said the new “world-class” facility is designed to provide industry and academia the opportunity to study how to process, store and recycle tritium.
Fusion is a form of energy whereby the power of the Sun is replicated on Earth. The fusion process sees two hydrogen isotopes fuse together under intense heat and pressure to form a helium atom, releasing large amounts of emissions-free energy through a safe, cleaner and virtually inexhaustible process.
Fusion energy could be transformational to contribute to energy security and decarbonisation.
UKAEA and Eni will collaborate to develop advanced technological solutions in fusion energy and related technologies, including skills transfer initiatives.
Eni will contribute to the H3AT project with its expertise in managing and developing large-scale projects.
UKAEA chief executive officer Sir Ian Chapman said the H3AT demonstration plant will set a new benchmark as the largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility in the world.
UKAEA also announced it had signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation on joint research in robotics and autonomous systems.
The agreement covers key areas such as research into robotics and autonomous systems for nuclear decommissioning; sharing best practices in research facilities; and initiatives to drive partnerships and support talent and skills development.
