General Fusion will enter into a long-term lease with UKAEA following construction of a new facility at Culham to host the FDP.
The FDP will demonstrate General Fusion’s proprietary Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) technology, paving the way for the company’s subsequent commercial pilot plant.
The MTF approach is different to the tokamak approach used, for example, in JET, MAST Upgrade and ITER, but UKAEA and General Fusion expect to collaborate on a range of technologies of mutual interest.
General Fusion will benefit from the cluster of fusion supply chain activities in the UK, centred on UKAEA’s expertise and presence in the field.
“This new plant by General Fusion is a huge boost for our plans to develop a fusion industry in the UK,” says science minister Amanda Solloway.
Construction of the FDP is anticipated to begin in 2022, with operations beginning approximately three years later.
“Coming to Culham gives us the opportunity to benefit from UKAEA’s expertise,” says General Fusion CEO Christofer Mowry, “by locating at this campus, General Fusion expands our market presence beyond North America into Europe, broadening our global network of government, institutional, and industrial partners. This is incredibly exciting news for not only General Fusion, but also the global effort to develop practical fusion energy.”
General Fusion is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Shopify founder Tobias Lutke. The company has raised $100 million and the plant is expected to cost $400 million.