One area attracting attention is use of rare radioactive isotope tritium for reactor fuel
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Italian multinational energy company Eni have formed a joint venture to offer services to the fusion energy sector including projects related to the use of the rare radioactive isotope tritium as a fuel.
The joint venture is named Rh3ova (pronounced Reeova) and is incorporated in the UK.
It will deliver specialist consultancy and operational services to the global fusion industry including end-to-end services across the fuel lifecycle, from early-stage feasibility studies to deployment and operational support.
Fuel cycle technologies represent one of the critical challenges in the pursuit of commercial fusion energy.
Deuterium and tritium are promising fuels for producing energy in future power plants based on fusion energy. Deuterium is abundant in nature and extractable from seawater. In contrast, tritium is extremely rare.
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen used as a fuel for nuclear fusion, a component in nuclear weapons, and an energy source for self-powered lighting and specialised micro-batteries.
Because it is so scarce, existing stockpiles are incredibly expensive, selling at prices around $30,000 (€26,000) per gram.
UKAEA said it is essential to ensure careful and efficient management of tritium throughout the entire fuel cycle, from its production and use in energy generation to its recovery from exhaust gases and refinement for re-use.
According to Rh3ova, tritium plays a critical role in the development of fusion energy technologies, but presents unique technical, safety and regulatory challenges.
Stephen Wheeler, executive director of tritium fuel cycle at UKAEA, said UKAEA operated the Joint European Torus, or Jet, the world’s most powerful deuterium-tritium fusion machine, for more than 40 years, and is a leader in tritium fuel cycle technology.
“For fusion to be realised as a commercially viable source of energy, however, this expertise must be scaled beyond the lab,” he said.
UKAEA and Eni have already collaborated on developing the UKAEA-Eni H3AT tritium loop facility at UKAEA’s Culham site in central England.
The facility will demonstrate the operation of a continuous, closed loop fusion plant fuel cycle at a pilot power plant scale.
Fusion energy promises to provide a low-carbon, clean source of energy, aiming for commercialisation in the second half of this century, UKAEA said. Fusion reactors generate energy by fusing together combinations of hydrogen atoms, mimicking the process that happens in stars.
