The partnership stems from a joint effort initiated in December 2023 under the DOE's Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy and the U.K.'s Fusion Strategy. The collaboration focuses on shared access to and the development of cutting-edge facilities for fusion research and development (R and D). The privately owned ST40 spherical tokamak will now host joint research by scientists from universities, national laboratories, and institutions across the U.S. and U.K.
"This represents a huge leverage opportunity for advancing fusion science and technology," said Geraldine Richmond, DOE Under Secretary for Science and Innovation. "These new investments will strengthen our partnerships with the private sector and our international allies. Each partner stands to gain significantly more than the funds committed."
ST40, a $100 million facility, has achieved fusion-relevant temperatures exceeding the sun's core in prior experiments. Tokamak Energy CEO Warrick Matthews emphasized the importance of this collaboration: "Our high field spherical tokamak ST40 has achieved impressive results in recent years, and we are thrilled to commence ST40's new mission through this strong public private partnership. This program will advance fusion science and technology for spherical tokamaks and the industry more broadly, in pursuit of a common goal to deliver fusion power."
Fusion requires plasma fuel to achieve specific conditions: extreme temperature, high density, and sufficient energy confinement. Advanced magnets developed by Tokamak Energy and U.S.-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems aim to achieve these conditions within more compact, efficient devices. In collaboration with DOE's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the ST40 facility will incorporate lithium coatings and advanced pellet fueling techniques to improve plasma confinement and energy sustainability.
Steven Cowley, Director of PPPL, stated, "PPPL pioneered the use of lithium coatings in fusion back in the 90s. We've since refined our understanding of the radical confinement improvements these coatings can enable, and we're excited to see this expertise leveraged by and advanced in collaboration with the private fusion industry."
Troy Carter, Fusion Energy Division Director at ORNL, highlighted the significance of the project: "The expansion of public-private partnerships for fusion was a key recommendation from the FESAC LRP, and I'm very happy to see new programs like this implemented."
Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences at DOE, added, "What excites me most is the possibility of deploying our university and national lab scientists to leverage this new capability through our Private Facility Research program. It's these publicly supported scientists, collaborating with their colleagues at private facilities, who drive the major advances needed in this field to support a competitive U.S. fusion power industry."
The $52 million investment, divided evenly among DOE, DESNZ, and Tokamak Energy, will support a five-year program culminating in 2027. The collaboration represents a critical step toward realizing commercial fusion energy.
"Fusion has the potential to be a clean and sustainable energy source, transforming how we power our country and countries around the world," said Kerry McCarthy, Minister for Climate at DESNZ. "This strategic partnership between the U.K. and U.S. governments is crucial to develop this new and exciting technology, and bring it into use quicker, and is a vote of confidence in the skills and expertise of those working in this innovative new field in the United Kingdom and United States."
