The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Eni have entered into a collaboration agreement to conduct research and development activities in fusion energy.
Their first project is the construction of the world’s largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility, the “UKAEA-Eni H3AT (pronounced ‘heat’) Tritium Loop Facility,” located at Culham Campus.
Tritium recovery and re-use are crucial for future fusion power plants, and this facility will serve as a world-class hub for industry and academia to study tritium processing, storage, and recycling.
Fusion energy, a form of energy that replicates the power of the Sun, has the potential to contribute significantly to energy security and decarbonization.
The fusion process involves combining two hydrogen isotopes under intense heat and pressure to form a helium atom, releasing large amounts of emissions-free energy.
UK Climate Minister, Kerry McCarthy, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of global innovation in clean energy fusion technologies, and this collaboration with Eni marks a significant step towards unlocking the potential of fusion energy, supporting our missions for economic growth, clean power and energy independence.
“The UKAEA-Eni H3AT Tritium Loop Facility will not only position the UK as a leader in the development of fusion fuel technologies but also accelerate progress towards a future of safe, sustainable, and abundant clean energy.”
Professor Sir Ian Chapman, CEO of UKAEA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Eni who have shown great commitment to fusion. We believe that fusion energy can contribute to a net zero future, including going beyond the decarbonisation of electricity.
“The H3AT demonstration plant will set a new benchmark as the largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility in the world, paving the way for innovative offerings in fusion fuel and demonstrating the UK’s leadership in this crucial area of research and development.”
Claudio Descalzi, Eni CEO said: “Fusion energy is meant to revolutionise the global energy transition path, accelerating the decarbonisation of our economic and industrial systems, helping to spread access to energy, and reducing energy dependency ties within a more equitable transition framework. Eni is strongly committed to various areas of research and development of this complex technology, in which it has always firmly believed.
Today with our UK partners we are laying the foundations for further progress towards the goal of fusion which—if we consider its enormous scope of technological innovation—is increasingly concrete and not so far off in time. To continue this virtuous development, international system-level technological partnerships like this one are indispensable.”
The UKAEA-Eni partnership combines UKAEA’s expertise in fusion research and development with Eni’s industrial-scale capabilities in plant engineering, commissioning, and operations.
Eni will contribute to the H3AT project with its expertise in managing and developing large-scale projects, helping to de-risk its roadmap.
The “UKAEA-Eni H3AT Tritium Loop Facility” is expected to be completed in 2028.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
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