General Atomics (GA) of the USA and Tokamak Energy of the UK have joined forces to collaborate on high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology, targeting fusion energy and other industrial applications. The partnership aims to capitalize on GA’s expertise in manufacturing large-scale magnet systems and Tokamak Energy’s pioneering knowledge in HTS magnet technologies.
Magnetic fusion relies on tokamaks, which utilize powerful electromagnets to confine and shape superheated hydrogen gas, known as plasma. To achieve the necessary conditions for energy production through fusion, tokamaks must heat the plasma to temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, surpassing the sun’s core temperature. This temperature threshold is crucial for making fusion a commercially viable energy source.
We were making our way to the Rila Mountains, where we were visiting the Rila Monastery.
The collaboration between GA and Tokamak Energy focuses on advancing high-performance HTS magnets. These magnets generate strong magnetic fields by circulating large electrical currents through arrays of electromagnet coils surrounding the plasma. They are built using cutting-edge HTS tapes, which are multi-layered conductors coated with a superconducting material called ‘rare earth barium copper oxide’ (REBCO). By enhancing the power of HTS magnets, fusion power plants can use thinner magnetic coils while generating plasmas at higher densities.
Anantha Krishnan, Senior Vice President of GA, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting Tokamak Energy’s leadership in HTS magnet modeling, design, and prototyping, while emphasizing GA’s expertise in developing and fabricating large-scale superconducting magnets for fusion applications. Warrick Matthews, Managing Director of Tokamak Energy, acknowledged GA’s significant experience, knowledge, and manufacturing capabilities in producing large superconducting magnets. He also emphasized Tokamak Energy’s decade-long focus on HTS technologies for fusion and their potential applications in aviation, naval, space, and medical industries.
Tokamak Energy has set a roadmap to deploy commercial fusion power plants by the mid-2030s. To achieve this, they plan to complete the ST80-HTS device in 2026, which aims to demonstrate the full potential of high temperature superconducting magnets. The insights gained from ST80-HTS will inform the design of their fusion pilot plant, ST-E1, which aims to deliver electricity and produce up to 200 MW of net electrical power by the early 2030s.
In a separate collaboration, Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics has partnered with Proxima Fusion to further develop the stellarator concept for fusion power. Proxima Fusion, a Munich-based company founded by former IPP scientists, intends to design a nuclear fusion power plant based on IPP research.
Stellarators offer an alternative approach to tokamaks for magnetic confinement fusion. Unlike tokamaks, which have a uniform toroid shape, stellarators have a twisted figure-8 shape. Stellarators offer advantages such as continuous operation and improved plasma stability properties compared to pulsed tokamaks.
The Max Planck Institute operates both the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak and the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. In February, the Wendelstein 7-X achieved a significant milestone by generating a high-energy plasma that lasted for eight minutes, with plans to extend plasma discharges to 30 minutes in the future. IPP aims to advance stellarators towards application maturity and sees great potential synergies in the collaboration with Proxima Fusion. IPP will contribute its expertise as the leading institute in stellarator physics, while Proxima Fusion will focus on technological advancements, fostering a fruitful public-private partnership.
