Eighteen nuclear fusion technologies or novel fuels being developed in the UK by companies and academics have been given government funding to help develop this potentially limitless form of clean energy.
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has agreed the contracts and between £50,000 and £200,000 for feasibility studies to demonstrate the technologies.
After significant advances have been made by nuclear fusion projects in the UK and around the world, there remain "a number of significant technical challenges to address for fusion energy to realise its potential", said Tim Bestwick, UKAEA’s chief technology officer.
This round of funding is designed to address a number of specific technical and physical challenges to taking fusion from the lab to commercial power plants, from novel fusion materials and manufacturing techniques through to innovative heating and cooling systems. The funding is part of the UKAEA's £42.1mln Fusion Industry Programme.
Five of the projects are focused on driving up fusion power plant performance with innovative heating and cooling systems, with the rest concentrating on improving fusion power plant availability with novel fusion materials, technology, and manufacture
Based on the same process that provides the sun's heat and light, fusion energy is often described as the ultimate energy source, providing a carbon-free solution to creating energy without toxic waste and using widely available cheap elements for fuel.