The UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) and ENI have concluded a cooperation agreement to jointly carry out research and development activities on tritium fuel and nuclear energy.
The collaboration begins primarily with the construction of the world’s largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility. This is a key fuel for future fusion power stations.
The Ukaea-eni H3at Tritium loop facility in Culham Campus will be completed in 2028.
The role of tritium fuels in advance of nuclear power plants.
Tritium recovery and reuse will play a fundamental role in fuel supply and production in future fusion power plants, and are important to make technology more efficient.
Fusion is a form of energy in which the power of the sun is replicated on Earth. In the fusion process, two hydrogen isotopes fuse under intense heat and pressure to form helium atoms, releasing large amounts of emission energy through a safe, clean and virtually inexhaustible process.
Fusion energy can be transformative in order to contribute to energy security and decarbonization.
The UKAEA-ENI H3AT Tritium Loop facility is designed to serve as a world-class facility that provides industry and academia with the opportunity to study methods of processing, storing and recycling Tritium fuels.
UK Minister of Climate, Kelly McCarthy, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of global innovation in clean energy fusion technology. This collaboration with Any is a key step towards unlocking the possibilities of fusion energy, supporting economic growth, clean power and energy independence.
“The UKAEA-ENI H3AT Tritium Loop facility not only places the UK as a leader in the development of fusion fuel technologies, but also accelerates progress towards a safe, sustainable, and abundant clean energy future.”
Important collaborations in fusion energy
Ukaea and Eni will work together to develop advanced technology solutions for fusion energy and related technologies, including skill transfer initiatives.
ENI helps to contribute to H3AT projects and eliminate roadmap risks with its expertise in managing and developing large-scale projects. This partnership combines UKAEA’s extensive expertise in fusion research and development with ENI’s established industrial scale capabilities in plant engineering, commissioning and operations.
“We’re committed to providing a range of services to our customers,” said ENI CEO Claudio Descalzi. “Fusion energy aims to revolutionize the global energy transition pathway, accelerate decarbonization of economic and industrial systems, broaden access to energy, and reduce energy dependencies within a more equitable transition framework.
“Today, together with our UK partners, we are laying the foundation for further progress towards the goal of fusion. Such an international system-level technology partnership is essential to continue this positive development.”
Professor Ian Chapman, CEO of UKAEA, added:
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