The world’s largest operational fusion project will continue operations until the end of 2020 – and potentially beyond – following the signing of a contract extension that secures at least €100m in EU funding.
The new contract guarantees operations at the Joint European Torus (JET) in Oxfordshire regardless of the outcome of Brexit.
JET is operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority at Culham Science Centre. Scientists from 28 European countries use it to conduct research into the potential for fusion energy in the future, through work coordinated by the EUROfusion consortium which manages and funds European fusion research activities on behalf of Euratom.
The future of the facility has been under discussion since 2017, as its work is covered by the Euratom Treaty, which the UK government intends to leave as part of Brexit.
“A heavy weight has been lifted off our shoulders,” said Prof Tony Donné, programme manager of EUROfusion. “This is extraordinarily good news for EUROfusion and the European fusion community as a whole. We can now continue to work on the realisation of fusion energy together with the indispensable experience of our British partner.”
Over 500 staff at JET can now ready JET for a series of fusion tests planned for 2020. These tests will serve as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the new international experimental fusion reactor, ITER, currently being built in Cadarache, southern France. The contract extension provides the option of a further extension to JET’s operations until 2024, which would enable it to support ITER in the run-up to its launch in 2025.
Prof Ian Chapman, CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, said: “The extension to the contract is excellent news for both EU and UK science. JET has been a shining example of scientific co-operation between EU members, and this news means that these mutually beneficial collaborations will continue, allowing us to do essential experiments on the path to delivering fusion power.”
Today is great for JET, but for the Prime Minster a dark one and all in Parliament.
As several EU officials have said,”the UK Government never had a proper plan when they came to the Negotiation table and now whatever the outcome is, will have both the EU and UK taking years of working out this error to overcome and huge Economic upheaval with everyone suffering.
Well the Wallies in Parliament need to get a “set of balls” and stop the “Leaving as a huge Mistake”.
Start immediately Diplomatic Negotiation to Stay and redo some of the sticking points, that have existed for the past 30+ years in electing and not appointing all of the EU Parliament members and not just appointing them, redo the Taxes/Payments of All EU members [get rid of VAT…to costly to run and maintain all the needed Staff]
Just have a Sales type Tax on all transactions for anything sold/bought – even stocks and share transactions. [exists now anyway].Then a portion goes to the central EU Exchequer.
By staying the costs of new/revised legislation will be eliminated and those savings can be used going forward for better innovations and reorganization of corporations and needed engineers/trained labor amongst all in the UK and some in the EU. Also ban all paid lobbying/special interests in the UK and any EU state/country. Make the companies who want something go to their appropriate Legislative representative themselves directly and work for their obscene salaries they are given [no one is worth millions of Pounds or Euros as compensation…. no one should be compensated more than 40 times the lowest paid employee of any company ( that would be equality from top to bottom)]