UK leads fusion design
The UK leads fusion energy powerplant design, says the Royal Society.
Its recent publication details the process of STEP - Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production - the programme to build the UK's first prototype fusion plant.
The first publicised snapshot shows how the technologies will be integrated.
STEP aims to demonstrably prove the commercial viability of fusion - crystallising net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and viable plant maintenance.
The holistic programme aims to also consider decomissioning as part of the design.
A spherical tokamak was deemed the most advanced method for fusion, while being more compact than traditional tokamaks to minimise cost and maximising energy output.
The UK Atomic Energy Authority says that one key difference of STEP is the integrated delivery organisation, based on a public-pricate partnership.
