Inside the tech that could speed up the nuclear fusion quest to harness limitless energy

Asked if this innovation could help speed up nuclear fusion research, he replied: “Hopefully it will. Nuclear fusion is going ahead and it is a huge physics problem. But off the back of the physics problem, we are moving to the engineering sector so we are scaling up and trying to get more energy out of the machine. 

“To do that we are talking about a larger area where there are fewer human entry points, so more robotics are needed. That requires a diverse range of robotics with more autonomous systems. So the more work that is going on into autonomous mobile modular systems, the better for application in general.” 

Back in October, then Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said the prototype fusion energy plant could be built in Britain by the 2040s. As part of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme, the plant would be built in Nottinghamshire and would replace a coal-fired power station in the area. 

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “The plant will be the first of its kind, built by 2040 and capable of putting energy on the grid, and in doing so will prove the commercial viability of fusion energy to the world.”

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1703619/nuclear-fusion-energy-uk-atomic-energy-authority