Tokamak Energy has signed an agreement for the supply of specialist high temperature superconducting (HTS) tape with Japan’s Furukawa Electric Group. Tokamak Energy, based near Oxford, is pursuing the global deployment of commercial fusion through the combined development of spherical tokamaks with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets.
In December, Tokamak Energy’s upgraded fusion energy device, ST40, has achieved first plasma after recently returning to operation after an upgrade, as part of the company’s mission to demonstrate grid-ready power by the early 2030s. The ST40 tokamak achieved a plasma temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius earlier in 2022 - the threshold required for commercial fusion energy. The new experiments relate to future features that will be incorporated in the next phase ST80-HTS advanced prototype fusion device and subsequent fusion pilot plant, ST-E1.
The tape is for the of construction of the ST80-HTS high field spherical tokamak. Tokyo-based Furukawa Electric Co and Furukawa’s New York-based SuperPower will deliver several hundred kilometres of tape for the ST80-HTS which will use HTS magnets at scale. Production of the tape for ST80-HTS is already underway at SuperPower New York facility and the first batches have been delivered to Tokamak Energy.
HTS magnets are an essential enabler for the low cost, commercial operation and global deployment of spherical tokamak devices. They are essential for confining the fuel, which reaches temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius. Tokamak Energy and Furukawa Electric Group are leaders in the fields of HTS magnet design and superconducting tape and are now also evaluating scale-up plans to meet the requirements for the ST-E1 pilot plant.
“Building our next advanced prototype, ST80-HTS, is a key milestone in our mission to deliver commercial fusion as a clean, sustainable, low cost and globally available energy source,” said Tokamak Energy CEO Chris Kelsall. “Securing partnerships with leading global suppliers such as Furukawa Electric Group strengthens our capability to address the twin challenges of climate change and energy security.”
Keiichi Kobayashi, President & CEO of Furukawa Electric Co, said: “Furukawa Electric Group has set out the vision toward 2030 as pursuing business to solve social agendas and to contribute to the development of sustainable energy-solutions. Also, we have laid out the environment-vision 2050, as our committed contribution for the future of the Earth. The new form of fusion energy is core to such goals, and we expect that our superconductors will play key roles in collaboration between Tokamak Energy and Furukawa Electric.”
Image courtesy of Tokamak Energy
