Rotherham set for new £22m fusion research centre

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) will open a new £22m fusion research centre in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, in 2020.

rotherham

Located in the town’s Advanced Manufacturing Park, the facility’s core role will be to develop and test joining technologies for fusion materials and components, including novel metals and ceramics. These will then be tested and evaluated under conditions simulating the inside of a fusion reactor such as high-heat flux, vacuum and in strong magnetic fields. Funding will come primarily from the Government’s Nuclear Sector Deal, with an additional £2m being provided via Sheffield City Region’s Local Growth Fund.

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“Momentum is growing in fusion research and we believe the opening of this facility in South Yorkshire represents a practical step towards developing power plants,” said Colin Walters, director of the National Fusion Technology Platform at UKAEA.

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