The UK government has announced a partnership with the University of Sheffield to develop fusion technology and the industry in the UK.

The partnership will see the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the University of Sheffield collaborate on engineering challenges around future fusion powerplants as well as make fusion energy commercially viable.

As part of the partnership, two UK chairs for fusion technology and materials will be appointed at the university to focus on a range of topics including future fusion powerplants and innovation in materials design. Both will work with UKAEA staff with an aim to move the research into the commercial market.

The UKAEA will also collaborate with the University’s UK-leading research in thermal hydraulics – a key research area in the development of fusion as an energy source.

Commenting on the news, Stephen Wheeler, director of fusion technology at UKAEA, said: ”The challenge of how we test and qualify components for future use in a fusion environment is critical for the delivery of a fusion powerplant.

“Partnering with the University of Sheffield to launch a new Chair in this field will accelerate the application of cutting-edge techniques from across all sectors of engineering and the development of new experimental and digital techniques specific to fusion.”

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