Tokamak Energy

Tokamak Energy is a spin-off from the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy based in Oxfordshire.{{cite news |title=ST40 achieves 15-million-degree target - World Nuclear News |work=world-nuclear-news.org |url=http://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ST40-achieves-15-million-degree-target |accessdate=3 May 2019}} As of 2022, the company had raised $250m, comprising $50m from the UK and US governments and $200m from private investors, including L&G Capital, Dr. Hans-Peter Wild, and David Harding, CEO of Winton Capital.

One of the company's first devices was the copper magnet-based ST-25; in 2015 this was upgraded with rare earth–barium–copper oxide (REBCO) high temperature superconductors (HTS) to the ST-25HTS.{{Citation |last=Windridge |first=Melanie |title=Tokamak Energy |date=2020 |url=https://doi.org/10.1088/978-0-7503-2719-0ch5 |work=Commercialising Fusion Energy |access-date=2021-12-13 |publisher=IOP Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1088/978-0-7503-2719-0ch5 |isbn=978-0-7503-2719-0 |s2cid=241527511}}

The company's most recently developed and currently operating device is the ST40 high-field compact spherical tokamak, which reached a plasma temperature of 15 million degrees Celsius in 2018{{cite news |date=6 June 2018 |title=Tokamak Energy hits 15 million degree fusion milestone |language=en-UK |work=The Engineer |url=https://www.theengineer.co.uk/tokamak-energy-15-million-fusion/ |accessdate=3 May 2019}}{{cite news |title=Fusion power is attracting private-sector interest |url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/05/04/fusion-power-is-attracting-private-sector-interest |accessdate=3 May 2019 |newspaper=The Economist |date=2 May 2019}}{{Cite journal|last1=Gryaznevich|first1=M.|last2=Nicolai|first2=A.|last3=Chuyanov|first3=V.|last4=Team|first4=Tokamak Energy Ltd.|title=St40 Progress Towards Optimized Neutron Production |date=2021|journal=Problems of Atomic Science and Technology, Ser. Thermonuclear Fusion|volume=44|issue=2|pages=107–110|doi=10.21517/0202-3822-2021-44-2-107-110|s2cid=238914316 |issn=0202-3822|doi-access=free}} and then in March 2022 achieved a landmark plasma ion temperature in excess of 100 million degrees Celsius,{{cite web |url=https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Tokamak-Energy-achieves-crucial-plasma-temperature |title=Tokamak Energy achieves crucial plasma temperature |work=World Nuclear News |date=10 March 2022 |access-date=12 July 2022}} considered the threshold for commercial fusion. A peer-reviewed scientific paper on the achievement has been published by the Institute of Physics.{{Cite journal |last1=McNamara |first1=S.A.M. |last2=Asunta |first2=O. |last3=Bland |first3=J. |last4=Buxton |first4=P.F. |last5=Colgan |first5=C. |last6=Dnestrovskii |first6=A. |last7=Gemmell |first7=M. |last8=Gryaznevich |first8=M. |last9=Hoffman |first9=D. |last10=Janky |first10=F. |last11=Lister |first11=J.B. |last12=Lowe |first12=H.F. |last13=Mirfayzi |first13=R.S. |last14=Naylor |first14=G. |last15=Nemytov |first15=V. |date=2023-03-17 |title=Achievement of ion temperatures in excess of 100 million degrees Kelvin in the compact high-field spherical tokamak ST40 |journal=Nuclear Fusion |volume=63 |issue=5 |pages=054002 |doi=10.1088/1741-4326/acbec8 |issn=0029-5515|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023NucFu..63e4002M }}

Tokamak Energy is a leader in HTS magnet development. In 2020 the company announced it had achieved a world record 24 Tesla field at 20K with its patented technology. In 2023, it announced it had built a world-first set of new generation HTS magnets to be assembled and tested in fusion power plant-relevant scenarios in its new Demo4 in-house facility.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-02 |title=The Engineer - World-first magnets set for fusion power plant testing |url=https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/world-first-magnets-set-for-fusion-power-plant-testing/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=The Engineer |language=en}} It is also developing HTS technology for applications outside of fusion energy.

In October 2022, the UKAEA and Tokamak Energy announced a five-year framework agreement to collaborate on developing spherical tokamaks for power generation. The collaboration focuses on areas including materials development and testing, power generation, fuel cycle, diagnostics, and remote handling,{{Cite web |last=International |first=Power Engineering |date=2022-10-10 |title=Tokamak Energy and UKAEA team up to drive fusion innovation |url=https://www.powerengineeringint.com/nuclear/tokamak-energy-and-ukaea-team-up-to-drive-fusion-innovation/ |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=Power Engineering International |language=en-US}} in the UKAEA's STEP machine.

In May 2023, the United States Department of Energy granted the company's US subsidiary, Tokamak Energy Inc., additional funding{{Cite web |title=DOE Announces $46 Million for Commercial Fusion Energy Development |url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-46-million-commercial-fusion-energy-development |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=Energy.gov |language=en}} through its Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, which partners selected companies with U.S. national laboratories, universities, and other institutions to advance designs and R&D for fusion power plants, representing a major step in the U.S.'s commitment to a pilot-scale demonstration of fusion within a decade.

On 27 July 2023, Tokamak Energy announced a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation for the development, implementation, and scaling up of commercial fusion energy in Japan and worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/British-Japanese-partnership-for-fusion-developmen|date=July 27, 2023|title=British-Japanese partnership for fusion development|publisher=World Nuclear News}}

In Novemebr 2024, the company secured $125mn in a funding round led by East X Ventures and Lingotto Investment Management, which saw investment from British Patient Capital, Furukawa Electric Company, global maritime company BW Group and US-based Sabanci Climate Ventures {{Cite web |last=Geschwindt |first=Siôn |date=2024-11-20 |title=Tokamak Energy secures $125M to commercialise fusion power |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/tokamak-energy-secures-125m-to-commercialise-fusion-power |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=TNW {{!}} Deep-Tech |language=en}}.

In December 2024, the UK and US launch a £40.5 million joint fusion project with Tokamak Energy {{Cite web |title=UK and US announce first joint project in fusion energy innovation |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-us-announce-first-joint-project-in-fusion-energy-innovation |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}.

• Commonwealth Fusion Systems
• DEMOnstration Power Station
• Fusion Industry Association
• Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production

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• [https://www.tokamakenergy.co.uk/ Tokamak Energy]

Category:Fusion power companies

Category:Electric power companies of the United Kingdom

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