The University of Manchester has been awarded £1.3m by the UK Atomic Energy Authority for the development of lithium technologies for fusion energy.
The research will help to develop lithium technology for fusion energy, creating a method to produce enough lithium to make breeder blankets for deuterium-tritium fusion reactors. This allows tritium to be created inside the reactor – a very scarce resource. Therefore, the challenge of fuelling fusion reactors is overcome.
Dr Kathryn George, project lead from The University of Manchester, said: “I am excited to be leading this ambitious, collaborative project to produce the fuel needed to make fusion power a reality.
“By bringing together a range of skills in chemical engineering and regulation, we will deliver a solution that not only solves the technical problem of fuelling fusion power plants but also ensures that the process will have minimal environmental impact and meet regulatory requirements.”
UKAEA is funding the development of lithium technology for fusion energy
In early 2023, UKAEA launched the new Fusion Industry Programme challenge, ‘Realising the potential of lithium in an economic, sustainable and scalable fusion energy fuel-cycle,’ to encourage organisations to develop prototypes of lithium technology.
Five organisations have secured six contracts worth £7.4m in total with UKAEA to develop lithium technology for fusion energy. The organisations received contracts ranging between £700,000 and £1.5m from UKAEA’s ‘Fusion Industry Programme.’
Tim Bestwick, UKAEA’s Chief Development Officer, said: “Fusion energy continues to feature on the world stage, with recent commitments being made at COP28 to develop fusion as a sustainable, low carbon source of energy for future generations.
“The Fusion Industry Programme is encouraging the development of UK industrial fusion capacity and preparing the UK fusion industry for the future global fusion power plant market.
“The organisations that have been awarded these contracts have successfully demonstrated their lithium technology concepts and will now develop them to the ‘proof of concept’ stage.”
Contracts awarded earlier this year
The contracts follow the award of Fusion Industry Programme contracts earlier this year.
The contracts were focused on digital engineering, fusion fuel requirements, materials and manufacturing, and heating and cooling technologies.
