Brexit ‘Has Changed Nothing’ For UK’s Fusion Research Centre

2 Dec (NucNet): Nothing has changed regarding the future of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) in England since the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and the government remains “very positive” about the fusion programme, CCFE head Ian Chapman said. Responding to media reports that the Brexit vote leaves CCFE’s future in doubt, Prof. Chapman said discussions are continuing with the UK government and options for continued JET operation are “actively being discussed”. JET is the Joint European Torus, the world’s largest and most powerful tokamak and the focal point of the European fusion research programme. Designed to study fusion in conditions approaching those needed for a power plant, JET is the only device operating that can use the deuterium-tritium fuel mix that will be used for commercial fusion power. Prof. Chapman said: “Although no firm decisions or commitments have been made, I know that the government values the international collaboration in fusion and I remain confident for our long-term prospects.” Prof. Chapman said it is also worth noting that the discussions are helped enormously by excellent recent results on JET. Routine high heating powers and excellent machine reliability have led to plasmas with very high confinement and stored energy – by far the best results with the new Iter-like wall. “This augurs very well for key experiments planned for 2019 and 2020 using the fusion fuels deuterium and tritium, and is invaluable for the early operation of Iter,” Prof. Chapman said. Iter is the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project under construction at Cadarache in France. Iter is designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion, the process which powers the sun and the stars, and which could be used to provide a safe, limitless and environmentally responsible energy source.