The UK Atomic Energy Authority has announced more funding for the British fusion industry.
Its Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI) programme, has announced a series of significant steps to advance fusion energy.
Fusion relies on two hydrogen isotopes – deuterium and tritium – to produce energy. Deuterium is commonly extracted from seawater. Tritium, is scarce in supply, so needs to be produced or ‘bred’ – in a lithium-containing blanket that surrounds the fusion reaction.
LIBRTI aims to demonstrate controlled tritium breeding, a critical step for future fusion power plants.
As part of this effort, UKAEA intends to purchase a neutron source, which will form the backbone of a first-of-a-kind testbed facility, to be built at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire.
UKAEA will also provide £9 million funding for 12 small-scale tritium breeding and digital simulation experiments, across the country including at universities and commercial plants.
Each of the 12 experimental and digital projects is expected to run to March 2026.
Outcomes are expected to include new tritium transport models, the development of novel breeder materials and diagnostics and digital platforms for the testbed facility.
Amanda Quadling, Executive Director for Fusion Fundamental Research and Materials Science at UKAEA and Senior Responsible Owner for LIBRTI, commented: “We aim to move from a science experiment to providing the supply chain with the confidence needed to support future fusion power plants. “
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