UK and US fusion strike partnership to accelerate clean energy

The UK and US are set to sign two new agreements at the Global Fusion Policy Summit in London on Monday 14 September, helping to bring fusion power closer to reality and deliver over 10,000 UK jobs in the sector by 2030.

The first agreement will launch a new supercomputing partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, combining world-leading expertise in AI, computing and fusion to accelerate the development of commercial fusion.

The summit will also see the UK and US sign a Joint Statement committing to closer cooperation on regulating fusion energy, helping to attract investment and support growth of the sector.

Fusion replicates the process that powers the sun, combining hydrogen atoms to release vast amounts of energy. It has the potential to provide a secure source of clean energy for generations to come, without producing carbon emissions during operation, while creating thousands of skilled jobs, backing British businesses and unlocking significant economic opportunities for the UK.

On top of the UK-US agreements, The University of Birmingham, Electric Power Research Institute and industry partners have secured a £2.63 million collaboration on fusion materials, strengthening UK industrial capability and supporting international collaboration in one of the world’s most promising emerging technologies.

Japan’s largest fusion company, Kyoto Fusioneering, will also invest up to £3 million in the UK through Project ALBION, supporting the development and testing of materials for the UK government-backed STEP programme, which is designing a prototype fusion power plant.

The announcements come as the UK publishes its UK Fusion Investment Prospectus, setting out the UK’s offer for companies and investors today and preparing to capture the opportunities in a future global fusion market estimated to be worth between £3 trillion and £12 trillion, establishing the UK as a leading destination for fusion. The prospectus will help turn Britain’s world-leading fusion research into a new clean energy industry, attracting companies to invest, build and create skilled jobs in the UK.