Policy paper
Towards fusion energy 2023: the next stage of the UK’s fusion energy strategy
Case study from Tokamak Energy
About us
Tokamak Energy is a leading global commercial fusion energy company based near Oxford, UK. We have an unrivalled track record designing and operating spherical tokamaks, the optimal route to commercial fusion energy.
In addition to fusion energy, Tokamak Energy is recognised as the leader in High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) magnets, design, numerical modelling, and prototyping. Our dedicated HTS magnet team, in collaboration with key manufacturing partners, is focused on becoming the leading supplier of HTS magnets to multiple markets.
The company currently employs a growing team of over 250 people with experts from the UK and around the world. It combines world leading scientific, engineering, industrial and commercial capabilities. The company has over 75 families of patent applications and has raised $250 million, comprising $200 million from private investors and $50 million from the UK and US governments.
Our technology
Tokamak Energy is pursuing the global deployment of commercial fusion through the combined development of spherical tokamaks with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets.
Spherical tokamaks are significantly more efficient than conventional tokamaks and can achieve improved energy output for a lower energy input and reduced capital costs.
In addition to fusion energy, Tokamak Energy is recognised as the leader in HTS magnet design, numerical modelling, and prototyping. We aim to provide magnet systems for other fusion companies to accelerate the industry, as well as to address exciting new applications for HTS, including propulsion in water, air and space, renewable energy and science.
Our track record
Our pathway to commercial fusion is built on proven science and an unrivalled track record. We are the only private fusion company with over a decade’s experience designing, building and operating spherical tokamaks.
Our world firsts:
- 2015 - First HTS tokamak sustained pulse for >24 hours (ST25 HTS)
- 2017 - Designed, built and operate the world’s highest magnetic field spherical tokamak (ST40)
- 2020 - World-record 24 Tesla field at 20K with patented HTS magnet technology
- 2022 - First private fusion company to achieve 100 million degrees Celsius plasma ion temperature in a tokamak, the threshold for commercial fusion
- 2022 - Highest plasma ‘triple product’ of any private fusion company, a key measure of plasma temperature, density and confinement time
Our future plans
We’re on a mission to have commercial fusion power plants deployed in the 2030s. We have completed design work on our next advanced prototype fusion device, which has the potential to de-risk and accelerate the development of multiple technologies required for the delivery of sustainable fusion energy. This device, scheduled for build completion in the late 2020s, will also demonstrate multiple advanced technologies required for fusion energy and inform the design of a fusion pilot plant. The fusion pilot plant will demonstrate the capability of delivering electricity into the grid in the 2030s, paving the way for globally deployable 500-megawatt commercial plants. We are extremely excited about the UK’s investment in STEP and we believe we can bring real value to the programme with our extensive knowledge of spherical tokamak design and operation, along with our HTS magnet technology.
