Minister Bowie shares his thoughts on the UK’s Fusion Futures Programme
UKAEA welcomed a visit from the UK’s Minister for Nuclear and Renewables, Andrew Bowie MP, to Culham Campus on 28th February 2024 to celebrate the success of the Joint European Torus (JET) – a world famous fusion energy experimental facility – and the people behind it.
“The JET Celebration is a fitting “swansong” after all the groundbreaking work that has gone into this project since 1983. We are closer to fusion energy than ever before thanks to the international team of scientists and engineers here in Oxfordshire,” Minister Bowie said.
“But the work doesn’t stop here. Our Fusion Futures Programme has committed £650 million to invest in research and facilities cementing the UK’s position as a global fusion hub,” he continued.
The UK’s Fusion Futures Programme is the UK’s alternative programme to associating to Euratom R&T, to support the UK Fusion Strategy. The Programme entails establishing new facilities to facilitate the advancement of new technologies and expand fusion fuel cycle capabilities.
Fusion Futures aims to foster world-leading innovation while also stimulating general industry capacity through international collaboration and the development of future fusion power plants.
This includes funding that will enable the UK to support ITER – a fusion science megaproject in the south of France. There are other agreements between research organisations and the ITER programme which could provide a model for participation by UKAEA to make contributions in-kind. The Fusion Futures programme explicitly enables such a cooperation agreement.
Additionally, a fusion skills package will be introduced focusing on nurturing expertise across a spectrum of disciplines and levels.
The breakdown of the Fusion Futures Programme is as follows:
- up to £200 million for a Fuel Cycle Testing Facility (e.g. Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI)), to develop technology in breeding fuel for fusion power plants, which will provide opportunities for the UK to become a world leader and exporter in tritium intellectual property
- up to £200 million for vital R&D ensuring industry can develop and design components for future fusion powerplants including ITER
- up to £50 million for growing and improving the Culham campus in Oxfordshire, building new premises to create vibrant concentrations of fusion companies, and helping drive inward investment into the UK
- up to £55 million for a Fusion Skills Programme, to train over 2,200 people over the next 5 years by working with business and universities to expand fusion training programmes
- up to £35 million additional funding for the Fusion Industry Programme (FIP), a challenge fund supporting UK companies to develop new technologies
- up to £25 million to enhance international collaborations on fusion R&D, to export UK expertise and make best use of global knowledge to accelerate fusion energy
- up to £18 million for a Technology Transfer Hub, strengthening connections between the UK’s leading research organisations and other programmes worldwide, with a focus on commercialising fusion research
- up to £11 million to further support the STEP programme and upskill UK industry to help deliver it.
Listen to Minister Bowie again at JET Celebration Day:
https://twitter.com/UKAEAofficial/status/1762874870877094132
