UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)

UKAEA researches fusion energy and related technologies, with the aim of positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy.

UKAEA has hosted the JET (Joint European Torus) facility at Culham since its design started in 1973. First operation was in 1983 and since then it has set world records for fusion performance. JET is normally run and
funded as a joint facility with EUROfusion. As the UK is not currently associated to Euratom (and by extension EUROfusion) EUROfusion is not currently funding JET. As a result, UKAEA has continued to fund full JET running costs to maintain the world class science done at this facility. The MAST Upgrade facility, also based at Culham, is leading the world in research into compact fusion devices.

New facilities linked to our fusion research are now operational at Culham and at a fusion technology centre near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

• Materials Research Facility (MRF), is a new UK facility for micro-characterisation of materials now open to university and industry users. It is part of the National Nuclear User Facility initiative.

• Remote Applications in Challenging Environments facility (RACE) is conducting R&D and commercial activities in the field of Robotics and Autonomous Systems.

• Fusion Technology Facilities at Culham and Rotherham are sparking the solutions to key challenges in developing fusion power plants.

• The Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) centre is researching fuel technology for fusion power; in particular, tritium - one of the two main fuels needed for commercial fusion.

• Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) is a training centre enabling Oxfordshire business to offer young people hi-tech and engineering apprenticeships of the highest quality.

Building on this broad and extensive fusion research and technology programme, UKAEA is now embarking on the design of a UK fusion power station - the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, known as STEP. An initial concept design phase for STEP has started, with the ultimate aim of producing net electricity from fusion around 2040.

In addition, we are responsible for several pension schemes, and own land at the Harwell Campus and Culham Science Centre sites in Oxfordshire, and are committed to further develop these thriving science, technology and business parks.