Oxford’s Tokamak Energy to develop laser tech for fusion power plants

Published by

Daniel Face

New laser measurement technology designed to control extreme conditions inside nuclear fusion power plants is currently in development at Tokamak Energy.

The laser-based dispersion interferometer system is undergoing testing at the firm’s Oxford headquarters and is due to be installed on in its world record-breaking fusion machine ST40 later this year.

Clean, safe and renewable, fusion power generation takes place inside a tokamak – a device in which plasma is heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius.

The specialist laser system will closely and accurately measure the hydrogen fuel contained within, ensuring that the burning plasma remains stable and holds density.

Read the March 2024 issue of The Business Magazine, including our feature on net zero

Dr. Tadas Pyragius, plasma physicist at Tokamak Energy, explained: “Measuring plasma density is key to our understanding and control of the fusion fuel and efficient future power plant operations.

“A laser beam fired through the plasma interacts with the electrons and tells us the density of the fuel, which is essential for sustained fusion conditions and delivering secure and reliable energy to the grid.

“The extreme conditions created by the fusion process mean we need to perfect the laser-based diagnostics technology now to drive forward on our mission of delivering clean, secure and affordable fusion energy in the 2030s.”

Tokamak Energy’s ST40 is the first privately-owned fusion machine to reach a plasma ion temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, the threshold for commercial fusion.

Since that 2022 breakthrough, the machine has undergone a series of hardware upgrades, including new power supplies and diagnostic systems.

Last year, the firm successfully commissioned a Thomson scattering laser diagnostic for the ST40 to provide detailed readings of plasma temperature and density at specific locations.

The machine will be back in operation later in 2024 following further upgrades and maintenance.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.