Tokamak Energy has installed its SOPHIA software programme for students as part of a UK-first nuclear training facility, unveiled today.

Funded through a £2 million grant from the Office for Students, the ‘Lancaster University Nuclear Operations Simulator’ will support teaching across a range subjects such as nuclear engineering and cyber security to support the nation’s clean energy goals and address critical skills gaps.

The creation of this cutting-edge facility, which includes a huge wrap-around screen and multiple lay-outs, is aligned to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and National Nuclear Strategic Plans by supporting teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate Lancaster University programmes.

It comes equipped with a highly reconfigurable design and software for different reactor types including a pressurised water reactor (PWRs), small modular reactor (SMRs), and fusion reactor, with software codes developed by GSE Solutions, Westinghouse, Norway’s Institute for Energy Technology, and Tokamak Energy.

It also includes leading-edge audio-visual equipment that can be used to flexibly configure different scenarios and record student interactions in the simulation environment.

Professor Rebecca Lingwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Lancaster University, said: “This fabulous new facility will augment Lancaster’s long-established strength across disciplines such as nuclear engineering and cyber security, providing our students with a truly excellent learning experience. Lancaster University plays a vital role as an economic anchor institution in north-west England, and this facility will further enable us in helping to deliver a new generation of young people equipped with the skills needed to support a low-carbon energy sector vital for national energy security.”

Tokamak Energy’s SOPHIA, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was originally developed to predict, simulate and validate experiments in the company’s record-breaking machine ST40 – a vital testbed for developing the technologies and expertise required to deliver commercial fusion. It allows scientists and engineers to get maximum gains from every experiment without needing to test multiple scenarios in the physical machine – which reaches plasma temperatures six times hotter than the centre of the sun – removing human error and fast-tracking results.

Ross Morgan, Tokamak Energy’s Fusion Managing Director, said: “This is a fantastic initiative by Lancaster University that we are extremely proud to support. Young people are more aware than ever that the world needs a new supply of clean, secure energy. We hope our tokamak simulator SOPHIA will inspire students to pursue a career in fusion energy and help make the world a better place for future generations.”

The facility will be ready for teaching students at Lancaster University from the next academic year starting in the autumn. It will be an invaluable teaching tool to enable students to put into practice some of the theory from their undergraduate, master’s and doctorate courses.

Tokamak Energy has world-leading expertise in fusion technologies and is the Magnet Systems Partner for the UK’s flagship STEP programme.

Picture courtesy of Lancaster University

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This work builds on the longstanding relationship between Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy, as well as ongoing discussions regarding the role HTS technology could play in areas such as fusion energy, power transmission, and medical devices.

The agreement was signed at a formal ceremony in 10 Downing Street yesterday where Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi launched a new UK-Japan Frontier Technology Partnership to accelerate cooperation on the technologies of the future.

Founded in Tokyo in 1884, Furukawa Electric Group provides a broad range of technologies, products, and services in infrastructure, automotive systems, and electronics. The company has long contributed to innovation in superconducting technologies and, since the 1960s, has developed low-temperature superconducting (LTS) wires for fusion experimental reactors, including ITER. Through its U.S. subsidiary SuperPower Inc., the Group has also developed and commercialised HTS tape for applications in energy, medical, and research fields.

Founded in 2009 as a spin-out from the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Tokamak Energy is a global leader in HTS and fusion technologies, with end-to-end capability in developing HTS systems from design to manufacturing. Headquartered in Oxford, with subsidiaries in the United States and Japan, the company works with governments and industry to develop and bring HTS and fusion solutions to market through innovation and strategic partnerships. Through its TE Magnetics division, Tokamak Energy is creating commercial opportunities for HTS applications, while also contributing to the development of advanced fusion systems.

Tokamak Energy also plays an important role in the UK’s fusion ecosystem. In April 2026, it was named Magnet Systems Partner for the UK Government’s STEP Fusion programme under a £70 million contract running to 2029. Through this work, the company is collaborating with UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) on the HTS magnet system for the STEP prototype power plant, while also contributing to tokamak systems and plasma integration. STEP is a UK-led programme that brings together government and industry to develop fusion energy and accelerate its pathway towards deployment. In building a prototype fusion power plant by 2040 it is expected to use an estimated 30,000 km of HTS tape.

As part of the collaboration between Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy, the companies are moving forward with an initial programme focused on tape research, development, prototyping, and feasibility assessment, including evaluation of manufacturing processes and future options in the UK. Subject to the outcome of these studies, this work could help lay the groundwork for future HTS tape manufacturing capabilities in the UK.

Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy have received letters of support from the UK Government and UK Fusion Energy (UKFE). The UK Government has expressed support for the companies’ emerging plans to develop HTS tape capability in the UK and its intention to continue working with the companies as those plans evolve. UKFE, which leads the STEP programme, has also expressed support for the development of UK-based HTS tape capability and its potential importance for future fusion development.

Furukawa Electric entered into an investment agreement with Tokamak Energy in December 2023, building on a longstanding strategic partnership aimed at realising zero-carbon, safe and secure fusion energy. This latest initiative reflects the two companies’ shared ambition to unlock the potential of HTS technologies in support of the future growth of the fusion ecosystem and wider industrial applications.

Hideya Moridaira, President and CEO of Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., said: “We have long been dedicated to the research and development of superconducting technologies, applying them across a wide range of fields. We are encouraged by the potential of this collaboration with Tokamak Energy and look forward to exploring how HTS capability — including future HTS tape manufacturing capabilities — could be developed in the UK.”

Warrick Matthews, CEO of Tokamak Energy Ltd, said: “Tokamak Energy has built a strong relationship with Furukawa Electric in recent years, and we greatly value the expertise the company brings in superconducting technology and manufacturing. Together, we are exploring how HTS tape capability in the UK could help commercialise fusion energy and unlock new levels of performance in a range of other industries, while strengthening our future HTS systems manufacturing capabilities.”

Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said: “Britain is a world-leader in the fusion industry and this partnership between Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy will develop crucial capability to drive forwards progress in fusion energy. This is supported by our Fusion Strategy, helping to secure our future energy independence, champion innovation and research, and provide the skilled clean energy jobs of the future for British people.”

Dan Bishop OBE, UKFE’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “UKFE welcomes this collaboration, the close working between Furukawa Electric and Tokamak Energy as our Magnets Partner, and the opportunity it presents to strengthen partnerships and explore pathways towards future HTS capability in the UK in support of a secure, sustainable, safe, cost-effective national energy supply.”

Fusion energy requires strong magnetic fields to confine and control extremely hot hydrogen fuel in the form of plasma. These magnetic fields are generated using advanced magnet systems, in which HTS tapes play an important role. HTS materials can enable high current density, strong magnetic fields, and improved performance across a range of next-generation applications.

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Together, the companies intend to develop a fusion project that is commercially credible, deployable using existing enabling technologies, and capable of attracting private capital — consistent with the long-term goals of the government’s recently announced UK Fusion Strategy.

This announcement comes at a time of increasing U.S.-U.K. bilateral cooperation on fusion. His Majesty King Charles III said during his address to the United States Congress last week that, “Our nations are combining talent and resources in the technologies of tomorrow — our new partnerships in nuclear fusion and quantum computing, and in AI and drug discovery, holding the promise of saving countless lives.”

The Consortium partners are all members of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), a global CEO-led network founded by His Majesty King Charles III with the mandate to lead the private sector in accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy.

At its core, the UK Infinity Fusion Consortium combines Type One Energy’s 400 MWe Infinity Two stellarator fusion power plant design, AECOM’s leading engineering capabilities, and Tokamak Energy’s HTS magnet technology and manufacturing expertise in the UK. The Consortium will use these capabilities to develop a UK Infinity Two fusion power plant project that will include participation by the broader UK fusion value chain spanning construction, finance, offtake and other supply chain partners.

The Consortium will build on the UK’s significant investment in magnetic confinement fusion technology, supply chain capabilities, regulation, and power plant siting for the government’s STEP Fusion programme. It will also capitalise on the synergy and experience gained from the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) Infinity Two fusion power plant project at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) Bull Run site in the United States, which is targeted for commercial operation in 2034. The TVA Infinity Two project is being supported by the U.S. government’s own fusion programmes and provides a strong technical and programmatic foundation for the UK Infinity Two deployment project.

The development of a UK Infinity Two fusion power plant project by the Consortium is aligned with the UK Government’s strategy to move from world-leading fusion science to commercial deployment — a strategy guiding the STEP Fusion programme. The Consortium will create a private-sector-led fusion commercialisation pathway complementing the STEP Fusion programme. The UK Infinity Two project further scales growth of the UK fusion supply chain and accelerates time-to-market for this critical new energy source, while strengthening the country’s industrial base.

Chris Mowry, Chief Executive Officer, Type One Energy, said: “Fusion needs to be delivered, not just developed. This Consortium brings together the core industrial capabilities in the UK and US required to deploy real-world fusion power plant projects that are commercially viable. By aligning fusion technology, advanced manufacturing, and power plant engineering, we are closing the gap between today’s energy innovation and tomorrow’s energy infrastructure. Our initiative is fully aligned with UK and US ambitions to be leaders in commercial fusion deployment.”

Warrick Matthews, Chief Executive Officer, Tokamak Energy, said: “This Consortium puts Tokamak Energy’s transformative magnet technology and manufacturing expertise in the centre of another world-class fusion programme. Together, we can accelerate towards commercialising a new form of limitless, clean energy and, in combination with our role as STEP magnet systems partner, strengthen the UK supply chain’s leadership in global fusion.”

Troy Rudd, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AECOM, said: “Fusion represents one of the most important long-term energy solutions, offering a clean, safe and reliable source of power for future generations. Delivering on fusion’s potential requires disciplined engineering, well-established infrastructure delivery models and collaboration across the entire energy ecosystem. Through this Consortium, AECOM is bringing its global experience in complex energy infrastructure to help lay the groundwork for commercial fusion projects that can scale with confidence, supporting the UK’s energy system while strengthening its industrial and infrastructure base.”

Lord Vallance, UK Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said: “This government is backing fusion with over £2.5 billion and recently announced a deal with the United States, which includes closer working on fusion research and development, taking us closer to a future powered by limitless clean energy. Our long-term vision and investment in the sector is now helping turn that ambition into reality.”

Lord Stockwood, UK Minister for Investment, said: “The UK is a world leader in renewables, and this consortium will play a key role in new fusion projects, creating exciting opportunities for people in local communities. We’re serious about the benefits three of clean energy technologies, which is why our modern Industrial Strategy is attracting investment into the sector to boost economic growth as the UK powers towards net zero.”

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) said: “Type One Energy, Tokamak Energy and AECOM have come together as members of the SMI, demonstrating the SMI’s Terra Carta and Astra Carta mandates in action — business and finance working together to turn breakthrough innovation into measurable progress in building a more sustainable future.”

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Based on a 10 MW data centre, the study found that using REBCO (rare-earth barium copper oxide) technology in place of copper could deliver the following improvements:

• Up to 3.5x higher power density
• Up to 90% reduction in power losses at busway level
• System efficiency improved from around 90% to 99%, directly translating into additional revenue through increased IT capacity
• Up to 50% lower total cost of ownership over a 15-year operating life

HTS technology also offers major environmental benefits, including:

• Up to 90% lower CO₂ emissions, driven by lower power losses and less demand for atmospheric cooling
• Millions of litres of water saved, as cooling requirements fall
• Up to 98% displacement of copper, reducing reliance on a critical and increasingly constrained material

For operators, this means that greater IT workload can be delivered within a fixed grid space, at cheaper costs and in a lighter, smaller and more scalable power infrastructure footprint.

To accelerate deployment, Tokamak Energy, a global leader in fusion and HTS technologies, has partnered with The BE Company (+BE), specialists in data centre infrastructure, on this new feasibility study focussed on next generation power systems.

Results will be presented jointly by Tokamak Energy and +BE at the 2026 Open Compute Project EMEA Summit, a key event for compute, power and infrastructure topics, taking place in Barcelona on 29‑30 April.

The study examined all aspects of a fully integrated HTS data centre power system, including the cryogenic system requirements, thermal management at high current densities, scalability for next‑generation computing workloads, deployment timelines, and total cost of ownership.

Conventional copper‑based power systems are increasingly constrained by heat generation, bulk, weight and efficiency losses. HTS technology offers a step change, with near‑zero electrical resistance, high current density, minimal excess heat, and targeted cryogenic cooling, supported by modular, plug‑in systems that significantly reduce overall operating costs.

Liam Brennan, Director of TE Magnetics, said: “Tokamak Energy has pioneered transformative HTS technology for more than a decade and is committed to unlocking its full benefits to transform industries and improve lives.

“This study with +BE demonstrates the transformative potential for power distribution in high-demand environments such as data centres. This is a critical technology for supporting the UK’s ambitions for energy resilience, digital infrastructure, and economic growth.”

Sath Ganesarajah, CEO of +BE, said: “As rack and cluster densities rise, power delivery has become one of the largest opportunities for outsized gains in cost, efficiency, and performance. High temperature superconductors offer a step-change in current density, losses, and footprint.

“This collaboration shows how superconducting power distribution could enable high-density, AI-native data centres, with a practical focus on deployable architectures, cost profiles, and delivery pathways.”

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UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) awarded the £70 million contract covering the period up to March 2029 after Tokamak Energy was identified as the leading UK-based manufacturing expert with the specialist capabilities to deliver the work.

Under the agreement, Tokamak Energy will act as systems partner delivering eight work packages for magnets, working closely with UKFE’s integrated programme team across key areas including magnets, tokamak systems and plasma integration. Delivery will be led through TE Magnetics, Tokamak Energy’s high temperature superconducting (HTS) technologies division, which brings dedicated design, manufacturing and test capability for advanced HTS magnet systems.

Tokamak Energy is a world leader in HTS magnet systems, demonstrating magnetic field strengths and system level performance that support the UK’s ambition to lead in next generation fusion magnet technology.

The contract also provides continued use of the company’s record-breaking ST40, a compact, high field spherical tokamak that recently delivered record levels of plasma current and energy performance.

Warrick Matthews, Tokamak Energy CEO, said: “Confirming our position in the UK’s world-leading fusion programme is a proud day for Tokamak Energy. HTS magnets are a transformative technology essential for delivering energy-producing fusion devices like STEP and unlocking new levels of performance in other sectors.

“Our expertise and experience include operating two of the most advanced fusion machines of today and will be invaluable as we scale up in partnership towards a low carbon, secure energy future.”

Tokamak Energy and UKFE bring together decades of developed expertise in high field magnet systems and spherical tokamak operations. They form a combined capability to deliver STEP Fusion at pace, accelerate learning cycles and help reduce risk in the early cycle of the wider STEP programme. With Tokamak Energy being the UK’s only manufacturer with this specialist HTS and high field expertise, this contract secures essential domestic capability.

Dan Bishop, Chief Commercial Officer at UKFE, said: “This partnership is about delivering together. Tokamak Energy brings the complementary skills, facilities and experience to move at pace. Our mission to deliver the STEP programme objectives is enhanced by this partnership.”

The STEP programme has recently moved from concept into delivery, following completion of its design concept phase and Government approval to progress towards whole plant development in West Burton, Nottinghamshire.

Tokamak Energy brings a unique combination of operational fusion hardware, magnet manufacturing capability and UK- based high field experimental infrastructure.

Its Demo4 HTS magnet system demonstrated world first performance for a full tokamak configured HTS system. Demo4 achieved 11.8 Tesla at cryogenic temperatures with seven million ampere turns, successfully reproducing fusion relevant magnetic environments at system level – an important milestone for future power plant scale magnets.

Tokamak Energy’s 2025 acquisition of Leicester-based Ridgway Machines accelerates its ability to deliver high-quality HTS products at scale and provides end-to-end capability. Ridgway Machines brings decades of experience in manufacturing cable insulation and winding machinery across multiple industries. It is the leading provider of bespoke equipment for superconducting magnets and cable production.

Under the proposed contract, UKFE will leverage Tokamak Energy’s magnet and plasma infrastructure to support rapid engineering iteration. ST40 and associated HTS magnet platforms allow direct testing of magnetic configuration, coil forces, plasma stability, and quench behaviour under realistic conditions, accelerating validation cycles ahead of STEP’s later design phases.

Why this contract matters

• Combines complementary expertise
  UKFE leads the delivery of STEP at whole plant scale, while Tokamak Energy brings decades of private sector innovation in high field magnets and spherical tokamaks. Together they create a delivery capability neither could achieve alone, especially at required programme pace.
• Provides direct access to operational high field testbeds
  ST40 and Demo4 allow live testing of plasma scenarios, magnetic geometries and integrated coil loads which are significantly faster and more informative than simulation only approaches.
• Reduces risk in advanced magnet development
  Fusion requires exceptionally strong, stable magnetic fields. Early validation of cooling systems, structural integrity, quench behaviour and multi‑coil interactions reduces risk in one of the most challenging areas of STEP’s design.
• Accelerates STEP programme milestones
  The partnership enables rapid prototyping, earlier technology verification and a smoother transition from concept into full engineering design.
• Strengthens UK sovereign capability
  Tokamak Energy is the UK’s only specialist manufacturer of high field HTS magnet technology, securing critical domestic capability and reducing dependence on global supply chains.

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Founded in 1920, the Leicester-based engineering company is a designer and manufacturer of advanced, high-precision automated production systems for next-generation energy and electrification technologies. Ridgway delivers bespoke manufacturing platforms to global leaders in fusion energy, superconducting power, grid and electrical infrastructure.

The company has made a strong start to 2026 as demand for high temperature superconducting (HTS) cables and coils for magnet systems from power and fusion energy customers rises worldwide.

Mike has a proven track record of delivering sustainable business growth throughout his career. He joins from TT Electronics, where he delivered significant increases in turnover and operating profit at the advanced electronics engineering and manufacturing organisation. Previously, he held managing director level roles at Dynamic Aerospace Fabrications and Pattonair after a 31-year career at Rolls-Royce, where he held a number of positions, including operations director.

Tokamak Energy, the UK’s leading fusion technology company, acquired Ridgway Machines in September 2025 to deliver high-quality HTS products at scale and provide end-to-end capability. It launched TE Magnetics the previous year to focus on the industrial deployment of HTS technology.

Warrick Matthews, Tokamak Energy CEO, said: “Ridgway plays an important role in providing specialist machines to industry. It has a growing customer base which will see it expand significantly over the next few years. In addition, Ridgway and TE Magnetics create a very powerful combination to accelerate and industrialise our leading HTS technologies, delivering breakthroughs in a wide range of industries. I am very pleased to see Mike join the business at such a pivotal time to lead this new phase of growth.”

Mike said: “I’m delighted to join Ridgway and the Tokamak Energy family as we work together to accelerate the industrialisation and unlock the full potential of HTS. Ridgway has the expertise and experience to transition HTS technology into large‑scale manufacturing, delivering innovative solutions and addressing critical challenges the world is facing both today and tomorrow.”

HTS materials, which conduct electricity with virtually no power loss, will enable the next generation of energy-producing fusion devices. It has the capacity to disrupt a range of sectors worth hundreds of billions of pounds.

When engineered into magnets, they generate exceptionally strong and stable magnetic fields within compact, lightweight systems – unlocking new possibilities in fusion and other applications ranging from electric zero emission flight to analytical science.

HTS also enables scalable, ultra-efficient, and compact power distribution for high-demand environments such as AI data centres, overcoming the limitations of conventional systems, which struggle with bulk, weight, heat generation at high currents, and efficiency losses in high-power settings.

Ridgway Machines brings decades of experience in the design and manufacture of advanced winding, taping and insulation machinery across multiple industries. It is now also the leading provider of bespoke manufacturing platforms for superconducting cables, coils for magnets and cable production.

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The UK Government is backing fusion research and commercialisation with more than £2.5 billion over the next five years, recognising fusion as a key technology for energy security and long‑term economic growth.

During the visit,  Lord Vallance toured Tokamak Energy’s ST40 spherical tokamak, world‑leading high‑temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology, and Demo4 fusion magnet system.

Warrick Matthews, Tokamak Energy CEO, said: “We welcome the government’s commitment to establishing the UK as a global leader in fusion – the 21st century’s most important technology. Tokamak Energy brings extensive expertise to the race, including power‑plant‑relevant results on our groundbreaking spherical tokamak and our world‑first high‑temperature superconducting (HTS) fusion magnet system.

“Through our TE Magnetics division, we are a market leader in the breakthrough HTS technology the STEP fusion programme will rely on to control the plasma. Our focus is realising its full potential for fusion and other sectors including science, defence, transport and grid technologies – tomorrow’s technology creating growth, jobs, exports and value today.”

The new strategy confirms the UK will work in close partnership with industry, ensuring the country is positioned to capture near‑term economic benefits from rapidly developing fusion technologies: accelerated innovation, high‑value skills, secure well‑paid jobs, and commercially valuable spin‑out technologies.

Read the full UK fusion strategy here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69b3fb599d8b52961a62b3e0/fusion-energy-strategy-2026…

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They were proudly exhibiting alongside major organisations as part of The King’s drive to accelerate the transition to a sustainable global economy.

The SMI Roundtables & Exhibition showcased a range of exhibitors from clean energy to space and sustainable materials to cutting-edge technology.

Pictured here, Tokamak Energy CEO Warrick Matthews explains the positive impact technology and the SMI network is having on His Majesty’s mission, with fusion an essential part of a clean energy future.

Warrick also joined a plenary session for the Buildings and Data Centres Pathfinder group to explore the transformational capabilities of high temperature superconductors, for fusion, lossless power transmission for data centres, and unlocking new levels of performance in a range of other sectors including science, defence and transport.

Thanks to SMI for hosting another outstanding event, which unites hundreds of global CEOs, international delegations and innovators, and we look forward to playing our part in the next phase of delivery towards a sustainable transition.

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The company ended 2025 by achieving its highest plasma current, highest stored energy, and highest fusion triple product – all key measures on the path to delivering clean, limitless fusion energy.

The compact spherical tokamak at the company’s Oxfordshire HQ is now preparing for a major upgrade for a new campaign of ground-breaking experiments in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Otto Asunta, Tokamak Energy Experiments Chief for ST40, said: “These superb results are a great way to finish the year and demonstrate how the ST40 team continues to push the limits, improving the already impressive performance of our compact high-field device.

“Breaking into the mega-amp range with our plasma current is a major milestone as we continue to build our knowledge of what will be needed for delivering fusion energy to future grids. We now look forward to working with the U.S. and UK governments on a new wave of experiments to deliver more cutting-edge science with our industry-leading device that has always punched above its weight.”

ST40 set a new record by reaching 1 MA (1,000,000 amperes) of plasma current, surpassing its previous best of 0.85 MA, while stored energy was nearly doubled compared to previous campaigns. This demonstrates that a plasma volume of just one cubic metre can hold immense power – an important insight on the path to energy-producing devices.

Plasma current – the electric current flowing through the plasma inside a tokamak – is crucial for confinement. It generates a poloidal magnetic field that, together with the magnetic fields from coils, keeps the plasma confined and away from material surfaces inside a tokamak. In future devices, a high plasma current is required to also trap the fusion-born alpha particles.
The fusion triple product, a measure combining plasma temperature, density, and energy confinement, is a key indicator of plasma performance.

In the company’s record-breaking 100 million degrees Celsius campaign of 2022, ST40 achieved a triple product of approximately 6 ± 2 × 10¹⁸ m⁻³·keV·s, the highest ever achieved in a privately-owned tokamak. Following an extensive series of experiments at plasma currents >800 kA and toroidal field 2.1 T, the team improved its previous best by a third to ~8 ± 2 × 10¹⁸ m⁻³·keV·s, demonstrating significant progress in plasma performance by operating in H-mode (high-confinement mode).

The latest campaign also saw the implementation of a new software called RT-GSFit that can reconstruct the plasma shape during a pulse at a millisecond time resolution (a thousand times per second). Integrating RT-GSFit into the ST40 Plasma Control System allowed the team to control plasma shape in real-time.

ST40 has now paused operations for the $52 million upgrade programme, known as LEAPS (Lithium Evaporations to Advance PFCs in ST40), in partnership with DOE and DESNZ. The programme will apply lithium coatings to all plasma-facing components (PFCs) using a lithium evaporation technique, building on pioneering work by Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and others that has shown lithium PFCs can significantly improve plasma performance.

The ultimate goal is to enable fusion conditions with good confinement that is compatible with sustainment for long durations in a future fusion pilot plant.

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The company was praised for its transformative work in the development of compact, powerful, robust, quench resilient, high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology.

HTS is essential for commercialising clean, limitless fusion energy, and will support the UK Government in addressing constraints in the national grid exacerbated by power demand for AI and data centre infrastructure.

Established in 2024, Tokamak Energy’s TE Magnetics division is leading the company’s HTS development and commercialisation for a range of applications, from power distribution, electric motors for zero emission flight, and fast, efficient magnetic levitation transport systems.

Warrick Matthews, Tokamak Energy CEO, said: “We have designed, built, and operate two of most advanced fusion energy research devices in the world – ST40 and Demo4.

“The teams behind these machines are driving the development and commercialisation of clean, limitless energy and transformative superconducting technologies for applications in fusion, science, power systems, propulsion, and beyond. We are proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of all our people at Tokamak Energy, recognising their outstanding work to deliver positive impact through ground-breaking technology.”

The IOP is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. With a rich history of supporting business innovation and growth, it is committed to working with ‘physics-powered’ businesses, and companies that apply and employ physics and physicists.

Michele Dougherty, Institute of Physics President Professor, said: “Physics drives discovery and innovation, transforming our understanding of the world. And it is the innovations of physics-powered businesses that are driving our economy, creating jobs and addressing the challenges that face us today.

“In the coming years, physics will continue to shape our lives, hopefully making a better world for us all, and it is companies like those we are honouring with a 2025 IOP Business Award that are leading the way towards a prosperous, sustainable future. My sincerest congratulations to them all. “

Tokamak Energy’s 2025 acquisition of Leicester-based Ridgway Machines accelerates its ability to deliver high-quality HTS products at scale and provides end-to-end capability.

Ridgway Machines brings decades of experience in manufacturing cable insulation and winding machinery across multiple industries. It is now also the leading provider of bespoke equipment for superconducting magnets and cable production.

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