UKAEA awards £3.1m in contracts to grow fusion in the UK
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has awarded contracts to 18 organisations totalling £3.1 million.
The contracts, which are looking to accelerate the commercialisation of fusion energy and focus on overcoming specific technical and physical challenges, are all awarded to feasibility studies and range between £50,000 to £200,000.
They are funded by the UKAEA’s Fusion Industry Programme and awarded through the UK Government’s Small Business Research Initiative platform.
Projects funded by the contracts are all aiming to tackle challenges linked to the commercialisation of fusion energy, from novel fusion materials and manufacturing techniques through to innovative heating and cooling systems, all needed for future fusion powerplants.
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Tim Bestwick, UKAEA’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “In the past 12 months we have seen significant advances both in the UK and globally that demonstrate the potential for fusion energy to be a safe, low-carbon and sustainable part of the world’s future energy supply.
“However, there are a number of significant technical challenges to address for fusion energy to realise its potential. The Fusion Industry Programme is helping engage organisations and industrial partners to stimulate innovation and address these important challenges.”
UKAEA’s Fusion Industry Programme was allocated £42.1 million as part of a £484 million support package from the government for research in the UK. Contracts have been awarded to start-ups, small-medium enterprises, established companies, and academia, with six of the eighteen organisations receiving funding through the Fusion Industry Programme for the first time.
Five of the organisations funded are within the South. These are: 3-Sci Limited, Oxford Sigma, Archer Technicoat, Astral Neutronics and QDot Technology.
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