Tokamak Energy launches new division for high temperature magnets

Tokamak Energy, a fusion energy firm headquartered at Milton Park in Oxfordshire, has launched a new business division based on its high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology.

HTS magnets enable powerful and efficient magnetic fields for a range of applications, which the company says have the potential to drive scientific discoveries, improve medical diagnostics and contribute to advancements in the defence industry.

They can also enable the efficient operation of fusion energy devices by confining the extremely hot plasma of fuels.

TE Magnetics, based on years of research but now under a new name, is looking to become a market-leading designer and supplier of HTS magnets to the fusion industry.

The team are set to debut their ultra-high field technology stack at this week’s Applied Superconductivity Conference (ASC) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Warrick Matthews, CEO of Tokamak Energy, said: “TE Magnetics will commercialise our transformative fusion magnet technology and take it into new markets.

“Launching this new business division allows us to focus on our core mission of delivering clean, secure and affordable fusion energy, while supporting our strategy for rapid growth across complementary markets.”

Dr Liam Brennan, director of TE Magnetics, added: “The era of high temperature superconductors is here.

“TE Magnetics is born from Tokamak Energy’s world-class fusion mission and is centred on opening new fields of performance in applications that will change the world in which we live today.

“We’re taking our knowledge, skills and talent forward to disrupt existing and create new markets for magnet technologies over the next decade, including renewable energy, science, and land, water, air and space propulsion.”

Compact HTS magnets generate far stronger fields and operate at higher temperatures than conventional low temperature superconductors (LTS).

This makes HTS much more energy efficient and easier to manage, removing the requirement for complex liquid helium infrastructure.

By enabling more energy-efficient and robust, ‘quench-safe’ technologies, HTS magnets can contribute to reducing energy consumption and decarbonisation.

As well as applications for magnetic confinement fusion, HTS can also enhance the efficiency and power density of renewable energy devices, including wind turbines, and has the potential to provide grid stabilisation and load levelling through energy storage.

TE Magnetics will offer a full suite of HTS solutions, from modelling and prototyping through to fully integrated magnet system development and delivery – including large scale manufacturing.