Kyoto Fusioneering announces strategic investment of up to £3m in UK fusion energy sector to boost breeder blanket technology

• ・Investment aimed at strengthening company’s solid breeder blanket technology capabilities and core fusion plant engineering design focus
• ・Kyoto Fusioneering to rapidly expand its team of fusion engineers in the UK
• ・UK fusion sector receives timely boost that will contribute to international collaboration between Japan and the UK

CULHAM, UK 15 September 2026—Kyoto Fusioneering (KF), a leading global fusion energy engineering company based in Tokyo, has announced a strategic investment of up to £3m in the UK’s burgeoning fusion sector that represents a clear signal of intent by the company to grow and invest in one of the leading markets for fusion energy research and development.

The investment will enable KF to design and manufacture a lithium oxide (Li₂O) solid breeder blanket experiment and initiate irradiation testing with online tritium measurement capability. Indeed, the experiment has been designed to deliver tangible progress for the STEP programme while further advancing the understanding of lithium ceramic breeder materials under irradiation, supporting both UK and international fusion projects.

The funding enables KF to grow its Culham-based team to provide the UK’s growing fusion sector including the prestigious STEP project with solutions to some of the most difficult challenges in fusion plant engineering from plasma heating systems to plant-wide system design, thermal-hydraulic analysis, and tritium breeding and recovery systems.  

Since its inception in 2019, KF has developed world-class expertise in the field of fusion energy providing technology and know-how through partnerships with government agencies, research institutions, and organisations around the world including UKAEA (UK Atomic Energy Authority). KF has collaborated with UKAEA already in the fields of plasma heating systems, tritium capabilities, and fusion materials development, and foresees its investment as a pillar of Japan-UK collaboration under the auspices of the Japan-UK Memorandum of Cooperation on Fusion signed in June 2025.

The investment comes at the start of the inaugural ‘UK Fusion Week’ that brings together British and international fusion leaders to discuss important issues related to fusion’s development such as policy initiatives related to international collaboration, funding and supply chain development.

According to Kiyoshi Seko, President and COO of Kyoto Fusioneering:

“Our strategic investment represents a step change for Kyoto Fusioneering in the UK as it enables us to grow our team and its capabilities as well as put down a marker for further country expansion.  With the STEP project progressing and strong British Government backing for fusion, we are incredibly positive about the UK’s fusion market given its 40+ year track record of pushing scientific barriers. Kyoto Fusioneering aims to contribute to the success of UK fusion by strengthening its footprint here, and we are grateful to the UK Government for their consistent support of the sector.”

Dr Colin Baus, Managing Director of Kyoto Fusioneering UK and VP of Blanket Science, Kyoto Fusioneering, stated:

“We are delighted to announce our strategic funding programme as we enter a crucial time for UK fusion where the STEP programme and private fusion initiatives require ever more complex solutions including blankets and advanced fuel cycle systems for a new generation of reactors. This investment from Japan will enable core capabilities to be developed in the UK and allow us to respond to this national endeavour. We look forward to working further with the Government and UKAEA as key partners on emerging technologies that could deliver clean, abundant energy for generations.”

Michael Shanks, Minister of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) remarked:

“Fusion has the potential to provide virtually limitless clean energy while supporting more than 10,000 jobs across the UK by 2030, attracting investment and creating major opportunities for British businesses. We’re accelerating the race to commercial fusion, turning cutting-edge research into economic growth and cementing Britain’s position as a world leader in fusion energy.”

Professor Amy Gandy, Head of Materials Science and Engineering at UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) said: 

“The tritium breeder blanket is one of the most challenging components for future fusion power stations, with a range of concepts and technologies in development around the world. KF’s investment provides an exciting and novel opportunity to test potential solid breeder concepts in fusion-relevant conditions. Tritium breeder blankets comprise many different materials, not just the fuel source (in this case Li₂O). KF’s project aims to replicate and irradiate a complete breeder blanket module, providing invaluable information not only about tritium production but also how these very different materials will interact with, and affect, each other.” 

About Kyoto Fusioneering:
Kyoto Fusioneering is the world’s premier fusion technology and integrated systems developer. It delivers plasma heating, tritium fuel cycle, and tritium breeding blanket and thermal cycle systems that advanced fusion programs worldwide depend on, regardless of confinement approach. KF operates globally across Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Canada. Visit us at kyotofusioneering.com.