Kyoto Fusioneering Awarded UKAEA Contract to Provide Dual Frequency Gyrotrons for MAST Upgrade Spherical Tokamak Experiment
Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd – a f usion t echnology company based i n Kyoto, Japan – has been awarded a contract t o provide f usion reactor t echnology t o t he United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Under t he contract, Kyoto Fusioneering will provide dual frequency microwave heating sources (gyrotrons) f or MAST Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak), based at Culham, near Oxford, UK.
A key aim of MAST Upgrade – t he UK’s national f usion experiment – i s t o i nform t he design of f uture power plants by t esting t echnology and addressing physics i ssues. Kyoto Fusioneering will provide world-leading gyrotron t echnology and t echnical expertise f rom Japan t o support a key aspect of UKAEA’s mission. Kyoto Fusioneering’s Gyrotron Division Director, Dr Keishi Sakamoto, said: “Japan has been a l eader i n t he development of gyrotron systems worldwide f or more t han 30 years, and we are very pleased t o be t aking t his research and development and delivering t o UKAEA t o support t heir mission t owards commercial f usion. Our next step i s t o develop f or higher performance t o l ead t he world i n gyrotron development.”
Kyoto Fusioneering’s gyrotrons will be i nstalled on MAST Upgrade by 2023, t o be used i n the next phase of i ts operations. Use of t hese gyrotrons on MAST Upgrade i s also relevant to UKAEA’s STEP (Spherical Tokamak f or Energy Production) i nitiative. STEP – t he UK’s flagship programme t o design and build a prototype f usion power plant – will use t he data and experience f rom t he plasma heating provided by Kyoto Fusioneering’s gyrotrons on MAST Upgrade t o support i ts design and development.
The award of t his contract t o Kyoto Fusioneering reaffirms t he strong and practical support of f usion energy’s development by UKAEA. I t also highlights t he key role t hat i nternational collaboration will play i n de veloping f usion energy f or t he world. Mr Taka Nagao, Co-founder and CEO of Kyoto Fusioneering, said: “W e are proud t o support UKAEA with i ts MAST Upgrade experiment, an ambitious project t hat i s aligned with t he STEP programme. We look f orward t o supporting UKAEA and providing our world-leading gyrotron expertise and technology t o help accelerate t he commercialization of f usion.”
About UKAEA
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) carries out f usion energy research on behalf of the UK Government. UKAEA oversees Britain’s f usion programme, headed by t he MAST Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) experiment. I t also hosts t he world’s l argest f usion research f acility, JET (Joint European Torus), which i t operates f or European scientists under a contract with t he European Commission. Fusion research at UKAEA i s f unded by t he Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC – www.epsrc.ac.uk) and by t he European Union under t he Euratom t reaty. More i nformation: www.gov.uk/ukaea. Social media: @UKAEAofficial
About Kyoto Fusioneering
Kyoto Fusioneering i s a privately f unded t echnology start-up f ounded i n 2019, with i ts headquarters i n Kyoto, Japan. The company i s f ocused on developing advanced technologies f or commercial f usion reactors, with specific f ocus on gyrotron systems, t ritium fuel cycle t echnologies, and breeding blankets f or t ritium production and power generation. The company i s developing i nnovative reactor t echnology solutions t hat are simultaneously high-performance and commercially viable. Supporting both public and private f usion developers around t he world, t he company will accelerate t he realisation of f usion as t he ultimate energy source f or humankind.
Media Contact ( English and Japanese l anguage)
media@kyotofusioneering.com
https://kyotofusioneering.com/kfwp/
