- New strategic partnership between the UK and US forged to
make fusion energy commercially viable
- both nations’ fusion sectors to benefit from closer
R&Dcollaboration,
knowledge-sharing and skills development
- it marks the first international fusion collaboration for the
UK since the launch of the new Fusion Futures programme
The UK and US have today (Wednesday 8 November) formed a major new partnership to
develop fusion technology.
Agreed in Washington DC by the UK’s Minister for Nuclear and
Networks, , and the US Deputy
Undersecretary at the Department for Energy, David Turk, this
represents an important step in the nations’ energy relationship
and promotes further global collaboration – vital for innovation
in this flourishing technology.
Fusion involves mixing 2 forms of hydrogen and heating them to
extreme temperatures, causing them to combine and release energy
which is then harnessed to generate electricity. This technology
could generate a near unlimited supply of clean electricity in
the long-term.
This will transform global efforts to reach net zero and deliver
energy independence. As the government builds a more diverse and
resilient energy mix, which will lower energy bills in the long
term, this new technology will demand a skilled workforce –
supporting well-paid jobs while growing the economy.
The energy generated from fusion is many million times more
efficient than burning coal, oil or gas and could generate a near
unlimited supply of clean electricity - transforming global
efforts to reach net zero and deliver long-term energy
independence.
It is the UK’s first formal international fusion collaboration
since the launch of the £650 million Fusion Futures Programme,
which is ensuring the UK remains at the cutting-edge of
innovation - with training opportunities and dedicated funding
for fusion companies. This is on top of the £700 million that has
already been allocated to UK fusion energy programmes between
2022 and 2025.
From the MAST-U tokamak in Oxfordshire to the DIII-D tokamak in
California, American and British institutions have been
longstanding collaborators on fusion research. The new
partnership goes further and builds on the UK’s Fusion Strategy.
It will:
- bring together scientists and engineers from the UK and US to
address the technical challenges of delivering commercially
viable fusion energy
- allow shared access for facilities and stimulate new
R&D
opportunities
- standardise international regulatory frameworks and codes of
practice
- develop resilient supply chains for fusion materials to
support the industry long-term
- promote skills development for a robust talent pool in the
coming decade
Nuclear and Networks Minister said:
International collaboration is key for advancing fusion and
achieving our ambition of getting a commercial fusion reactor
grid-ready by 2040.
The UK and the US are world-leaders in this technology, and
pooling our resources will unlock new private sector investment.
This bold new partnership will help turn our fusion ambitions
into reality.
During the visit, Minister Bowie will also spend time at
Princeton Plasmas Physics Laboratory, the historic home of many
‘fusion firsts’ in fusion research, meeting with Sir Steve Cowley
on how laboratories in the UK and the US can continue
collaborating on R&D and tokamak
performance.
US Deputy Undersecretary at the Department for Energy David Turk
said:
The United States and the United Kingdom have long partnered on
some of the world’s most ambitious scientific endeavors.
I look forward to welcoming Minister Bowie to Washington to build
on that partnership to advance fusion energy that could
ultimately help us achieve our countries’ shared goal of ending
the climate crisis.
A coordinating committee will meet for the first time in early
2024. Led jointly by the Department for Energy Security and Net
Zero and the US Department of Energy, it will include
representatives from national laboratories, academia and industry
to advance a shared fusion vision.
This latest partnership reflects the unique and strong alliance
between the 2 nations on issues of global importance. It follows
a joint announcement earlier this year of the Atlantic
Declaration, setting out the framework for a twenty-first century
US-UK Economic Partnership.
