A UK-US industry consortium has been launched to develop Britain’s first private-sector-led fusion power plant.

The UK Infinity Fusion Consortium consists of US-based fusion energy firm Type One Energy, UK-based fusion firm Tokamak Energy and global infrastructure and engineering firm AECOM.

These three firms are already collaborating on Type One Energy’s 400 MWe Infinity Two stellarator-type fusion pilot plant in the US, which is targeted for commercial operation in 2034.

The aim of the UK-based project – UK Infinity Two – is to use Type One Energy’s stellarator fusion machines, which, unlike tokamaks, use powerful superconducting magnets to efficiently control the superheated plasma, producing vast amounts of energy cleanly and safely. Tokamak Energy will supply the high-temperature superconducting magnet technology for the project. 

Fusion is a potential source of almost limitless clean energy, seen as vital for energy security and the climate crisis. However, fusion is difficult to realise in practice.

The consortium’s intention is to use the capabilities of the three firms 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 £1.3bn UK Fusion Strategy. It will also benefit the UK economy by drawing on suppliers and partners across the UK supply chain.

Chris Mowry, CEO of 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.”

The UK is already building a prototype fusion power plant, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), at a site in north Nottinghamshire, which is targeted to be operational by 2040. The consortium’s private-sector-led UK Infinity Two project aims to complement the STEP Fusion programme through further scaling growth of the UK fusion supply chain and accelerating the delivery of fusion energy.

Warrick Matthews, CEO of 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 CEO of AECOM, said: “Delivering on fusion’s potential requires disciplined engineering, well-established infrastructure delivery models and collaboration across the entire energy ecosystem. 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.”