Kyoto Fusioneering is proud to announce the successful delivery of a cutting-edge gyrotron system to Tokamak Energy. This system, capable of producing 1MW of Radio Frequency (RF) power, will enhance the performance of Tokamak Energy’s high-field spherical tokamak, ST40, and support the facility in achieving its key research goals. The gyrotron will play a key role in heating and controlling the ST40 hydrogen plasma at temperatures that are many times hotter than the sun’s core. It will also assist in initiating and sustaining plasma currents, advancing technologies essential for commercial fusion energy. Delivered to Tokamak Energy’s Oxfordshire headquarters in December, the gyrotron is now being prepared for installation and commissioning, with support from Kyoto Fusioneering’s plasma heating experts.
The gyrotron upgrade comes at a pivotal time for ST40, following a landmark collaboration between Tokamak Energy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which secured $52M (USD) in funding to support next-phase operations. Together, these partners are advancing the fusion science and technology necessary to develop pilot fusion power plants, highlighting the facilities world-leading status. Specifically, the gyrotron will enable key experiments, including testing of lithium wall technologies on ST40, providing data and technology validation for the next generation of fusion systems.
Dr. Ross Morgan, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Tokamak Energy, said: “We’re excited to work with our partners Kyoto Fusioneering to add this important upgrade to our record-breaking fusion machine, and continue to operate ST40 to test and push new boundaries. The results from future experiments using the high-power gyrotron heating system will provide critical data to inform the design of future spherical tokamak pilot plants, on our mission to commercialise clean and limitless fusion energy in the 2030s.”
Dr. Satoshi Konishi, Kyoto Fusioneering’s CEO, Chief Fusioneer, and Co-Founder, said: “We are honoured to contribute to Tokamak Energy’s ST40, which stands as a benchmark for public-private partnerships and international collaboration. This partnership, bolstered by strong UK-Japan collaboration, represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of fusion energy. Committed to delivering world-class gyrotrons and exceptional engineering support, we look forward to working together to achieve the shared goal of clean, sustainable fusion power.”
ST40 already achieved a major milestone in 2022 by reaching plasma ion temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius—one of the key parameters in achieving the threshold necessary for commercial fusion energy. Kyoto Fusioneering’s gyrotron technology will assist in driving the next phase of experiments, achieving further goals and advancing progress toward the realization of fusion energy via the spherical tokamak. For more information, please see Tokamak Energy’s official press release here.
