Engineers at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have manoeuvred a 12-tonne component into position for the nation’s flagship fusion machine, MAST Upgrade, at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, England.
MAST Upgrade creates plasma reaching more than 30 million degrees Celsius. The fusion machine aims to investigate novel exhaust concepts, derisk and advance the spherical tokamak design for future power plants, and extend physics knowledge in support of the broader fusion program.
The installed double beam box features a double-decker layout designed to house two neutral beam injectors. Neutral beam injectors play a key role in fusion research by firing high-energy neutral atoms into the plasma.
By adding two more injectors to MAST Upgrade’s existing setup, the new double beam box will double the machine’s neutral beam heating power from 4.4 megawatts (MW) to 8.8MW.
The hotter plasma conditions will also enable researchers to investigate the technologies and physics needed for future fusion power plants, including the UK’s prototype fusion power plant STEP.
All major hardware is expected to be manufactured and fitted inside the double beam box vessel by the end of the UK autumn 2027. The vacuum-tight vessel will then be commissioned for use in scientific experiments due to begin in 2028.
A cleaner power source
The UK is actively developing prototype and commercial fusion power plants to transition from experimental research to grid electricity generation.
Fusion energy is considered important because it offers a near-limitless, clean, and inherently safe power source that could transform the global energy landscape.
It relies on light isotopes and tritium, with the potential to provide enough fuel to power human civilisation for millions of years. The process emits no carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases, leaving non-toxic helium as its primary by-product.
Fusion energy and the mining industry are interconnected, as mining provides the critical raw materials needed to build and fuel fusion reactors, while fusion could help revolutionise operations by providing cleaner power.
The reactors and power plants require massive amounts of highly specialised minerals and metals. These include lithium, copper, niobium, tin, and rare earths.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Main image: UKAEA
