The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s £55m Mast (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak ) Upgrade machine has achieved first plasma – where all the essential components work together simultaneously.
The UKAEA said the device, which has taken seven years to build at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy near Oxford, will take the UK closer to delivering fusion energy and will be a vital testing facility for delivering the Step fusion power plant. Step (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is due for completion by 2040.
Fusion energy offers the potential of an abundant, inherently safe low-carbon electricity supply. It involves fusing hydrogen particles in a hot gas known as a plasma to unlock large amounts of energy.
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