The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Global Energy Tech company Eni have announced that Canada’s Kinectrics will be the design and fabrication partner for the (pronounced ‘HEAT’) Tritium Loop Facility. The UKAEA-Eni H3AT Tritium Loop Facility, located at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, is expected to be complete in 2028. It will be the world’s largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility when fully commissioned in 2030. It is a key international experimental user facility designed to lead the development of tritium technologies for fusion power plants.
Kinectrics brings decades of experience with tritium including systems engineering, safety and regulatory compliance, a vertically integrated delivery model, in-house tritium infrastructure, and existing knowledge in fusion fuel cycle systems. This complements UKAEA’s fusion research capabilities and Eni’s experience of delivering industrial scale plants.
The recovery and reuse of tritium will be central to the supply and generation of the fuel in future fusion power plants. Kinectrics will support UKAEA and Eni to develop and integrate critical tritium-handling technologies, including:
- Atmospheric Detritiation System (ADS) to recover tritium from gas waste streams to minimise release to atmosphere;
- Water Detritiation System (WDS) to recovers tritium from tritiated water; and
- Gloveboxes containing developmental equipment. Each glovebox is unique and requires high-performing containment.
Sarah Clark, Director of Tritium Fuel Cycle Division at UKAEA and UKAEA-Eni H3AT Tritium Loop Facility sponsor, welcomed Kinectrics. “Having the right partners is essential for H3AT’s design and development to be successful, and Kinectrics’s experience with tritium, fusion and adjacent sectors complements what we already have from UKAEA and Eni. This multinational collaboration will further develop Culham Campus and the UK more widely as an unrivalled location for fusion energy research and development.”
Francesca Ferrazza, Head of Magnetic Fusion Initiatives at Eni, said Eni supports the development of fusion energy as a breakthrough in the energy transition path. “This international partnership reinforces the status of the H3AT facility bringing together world class experts to meet crucial technical objectives related to the tritium fuel cycle and extends Eni’s commitment to the industrialization of fusion energy.”
Nisa Halsey, Vice President of Nuclear Equipment and Tooling at Kinectrics, said as the fusion industry matures the H3AT facility will become critical infrastructure to optimise the fusion fuel cycle. “Kinectrics brings decades of experience as an OEM of specialized equipment for the fission industry and expertise in supplying complex isotopic process systems through rigorous engineering and manufacturing excellence.”
