Who we are

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is the UK government’s research organisation responsible for the development of sustainable fusion energy. Fusion has great potential to deliver sustainable, safe, low carbon energy for generations to come. It is described as the ultimate energy source, being the same process that powers our Sun and all stars across the universe.

To achieve our mission of delivering sustainable fusion energy, while maximising the scientific and economic benefits, we have world-class scientists and engineers working at the leading edge of developing fusion across our Oxfordshire site at Culham Science Centre and our new Fusion Technologies Facility in South Yorkshire. Today, UKAEA continues to advance fusion science and engineering, breaking world records with the international Joint European Torus (JET) fusion experiment while researching new technologies in areas of robotic maintenance, materials science, computing, and increasing our understanding of core plasma physics. To establish fusion energy as a key part of the future energy mix, we are contributing to hugely significant projects both across the World – including ITER, a global effort to prove production of commercially viable fusion energy – and right here in the UK – developing STEP, Britain’s prototype fusion power plant.

Developing fusion – the ultimate energy source

We are working with research partners and industry around the globe to realise the enormous potential of fusion for generating low-carbon electricity. Increasing demand for energy, concerns over climate change, and limited supplies of fossil fuels mean we need to find new, greener ways to power the planet. Fusion – the process that drives the Sun – could offer a virtually limitless supply of energy if mastered on Earth. Bringing it to the electricity grid is one of the toughest challenges in science, but potentially one of the most rewarding.

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UKAEA Virtual Open Evening May - JET & MAST Upgrade