UK Atomic Energy Authority

We've been busy.... If you only watch one video on LinkedIn, make it this one! We've put together highlights from what has been a very exciting 12 months for the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and fusion energy in this inspirational video. One year on from COP26 and our landmark panel discussion; 'Looking to the Future with Fusion Energy', and as COP27 draws to a close, now is the best time to find out about all the great work undertaken by UKAEA, and our plans for the future. ✅ Visit https://ccfe.ukaea.uk #FusionEnergy #FusionIsComing Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), EUROfusion, UN Climate Change #COP27

It's #NationalSTEMDay! We're celebrating the impact of science, tech, engineering, and maths in shaping the future... MAST Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak Upgrade / MAST-U) is the UK’s national fusion experiment. MAST-U is exploring the route to compact fusion power plants, testing fusion machine technology and addressing physics issues for the international ITER fusion project. It keeps the UK at the forefront of global research into fusion energy. MAST-U particularly focuses on plasma exhaust – a key issue that must be solved to achieve commercial fusion power. The tokamak’s exhaust system (known as the ‘divertor’) processes spent fuel and heat ejected from the plasma. The plasma must be cool enough where it meets surfaces in the divertor to ensure that any damage is minimal. Present divertors are not designed to withstand the intense power loads that will be created in the large fusion machines in future power plants. Divertor components would require replacement every few years, making it difficult for fusion to become an economically competitive energy source. The challenge is to develop a divertor with a manageable power load; about the same as in a car engine. MAST-U is the first tokamak to trial the ‘Super-X divertor’. This is an exhaust system designed to reduce heat and power loads from particles leaving the plasma, which should mean divertor components will last much longer. If successful, Super-X could be used in prototype power plants and commercial fusion reactors. MAST-U can also operate with a variety of other divertor configurations to compare their effectiveness and inform design choices for future fusion reactors. If this post has got you thinking about a rewarding career with UKAEA we encourage you to visit our Careers website, where you can search current vacancies, discover information about early career opportunities, and find out about what life is like at UKAEA. ➡ https://careers.ukaea.uk/ 🔁 Share this post with your network, and with anyone you think would like to find out more about a career in STEM. #STEMday #science #technology #engineering #maths

Join the Oxfordshire Advanced Skills Open Evening on the 20th November, to find out more about becoming an engineering apprentice. For further information visit their post, below.

We are excited to invite our current and potential suppliers to UKAEA’s 13th Suppliers’ Event, which will take place on the 28th November at our Culham Campus! This event will provide delegates with a commercial overview across our major programmes and projects, with presentations from Paula Barham (Director of Commercial), Mark Shannon (Director of Integrated Engineering), and commercial leads from a range programmes to share updates and forthcoming activities. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to explore exhibition booths, attend informative workshops, and network with UKAEA representatives as well as professionals from large and SME organisations. To register, and for further information, go to https://lnkd.in/eNN2x3vr

You are warmly invited to join us to celebrate World Quality Week, at UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) on Thursday 21st November 2024. The event, 'Quality: from compliance to performance', is being held in association with CQI | The Chartered Quality Institute... This event is designed to showcase some of the innovative work that UKAEA is undertaking to deliver high impact quality research programmes in the field of fusion power. The aim of the event is to inform, external peers and internal colleagues, of our ongoing efforts to solve the challenges to delivering sustainable fusion power. The morning session will include an introduction to UKAEA followed by a tour of JET and RACE. The afternoon session will consist of engaging talks and panel discussions with colleagues at UKAEA and our partners. For more information, and to register, visit: https://lnkd.in/eHsRhDVA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have, today, launched their 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 and 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 publications at the 1st ministerial meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group... To download a copy, visit https://lnkd.in/eP7ZKxrD

Join Robert Skilton, Robotics Fellow and Head of Robotics Research & Technology at UK Atomic Energy Authority, for his talk at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, on 6th November - in-person or via Zoom. The talk, based on work at the UK Atomic Energy Authority centre for Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE), will focus on developing robotic hardware, software and training, to deliver safer and faster maintenance and operational activities in challenging environments. It will also touch on the digital tools developed to visualise complex robotics. For further information, and to register, go to https://lnkd.in/gVB_bsVK

To support an increase in the number of individuals undertaking PhD research, UKAEA’s FOSTER Programme Industry Support Scheme Awards provides a fixed sum towards the cost of a fusion-related PhD in a UK university that commences by 31st December, 2025. Applications for Award support should be led by a company that is passionate about achieving fusion energy, and PhD topics should be beneficial to the wider UK fusion sector, i.e. not only relevant to one specific fusion device. Application forms and further guidance can be obtained by email from [email protected]. The FOSTER programme is working with universities, businesses and international partners to increase the number of apprentice and graduate, post-graduate and doctoral, and post-doctoral opportunities within the fusion skills ecosystem in the UK. We recommend that companies or organisations applying for this Scheme should either currently be, or apply to be, a member of The Fusion Cluster, which brings together a community powered by knowledge, passion and expertise to achieve fusion faster. For more information see the document, below.

We were pleased to welcome Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Executive of the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), to Culham Campus for a tour of our facilities. Ms Newton-Smith met with UKAEA's Justin Kingsford (Chief Operating Officer), Heather Lewtas (Head of Innovation) and Rajeev Deshprabhu (Head of Business Development), before taking in tours of Oxfordshire Advanced Skills and RACE, with Emma Johnstone (Head of Finance and Operations) and Nick Sykes (Director of RACE), respectively. Following discussions with Tim Bestwick (Deputy CEO), the visit was rounded off with a tour of JET with Fernanda Rimini (Head of Operations, Control and Tokamak Systems). We would like to thank everyone involved with the visit. To find out more about the Confederation of British Industry, visit their page on LinkedIn.

UK Industrial Fusion Solutions stands-up to deliver STEP In a milestone moment on the journey to deliver the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant, leadership of the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production / STEPtoFusion) programme today transitions to UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS). UKIFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Group and has been established to lead a public-private partnership that will design, build and operate the STEP prototype plant at the West Burton site in Nottinghamshire. UKAEA will continue to be STEP’s fusion partner, working alongside two industry partners – one in engineering and one in construction – to spearhead the development of a UK-led fusion industry. Read on: https://lnkd.in/epGQdXCW