First Light Fusion and Tractebel lead the way in UK nuclear fusion

Remarkable advances in British nuclear fusion are currently underway thanks to the key collaboration between First Light Fusion and Tractebel.

Share:

Founded in 2011, First Light is based on the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) campus in Culham, near Oxford. His approach to English nuclear fusion is based on projectile fusion, a branch of inertial confinement fusion.

Major advances in British nuclear fusion: key collaboration with Tractebel

In December, in the United States, the National Ignition Facility produced a fusion energy gain using lasers. However, First Light Fusion’s innovative approach relies on hypervelocity compression of a target, generating the temperatures and pressures needed to trigger fusion.

Innovative design solves major challenges: neutron damage, tritium, intense heat. The “liquid lithium wall” method accelerates tritium production in the reactor chamber. This strategy gives First Light Fusion a unique advantage in achieving tritium self-sufficiency.

A liquid lithium environment surrounds the fusion reaction, making it easier to achieve tritium self-sufficiency and design for excess production.

The two companies stated that the Machine 4 demonstrator, once completed, “will house the world’s largest electrical pulse generator, with a diameter of 75 meters”. Tractebel will “leverage its international expertise in fusion”, acquired in particular through its involvement in projects such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France, to contribute to the success of this project.

Nick Hawker, CEO of First Light Fusion, said, “The design and development of Machine 4 … is well advanced as we aim to complete the project well before the end of this decade. We are delighted to be working with Tractebel during this critical phase, harnessing their unrivalled expertise in major fusion infrastructure projects.”

Energy revolution: Tractebel and First Light Fusion catalyze British nuclear fusion

Denis Dumont, Global Head of Nuclear Energy at Tractebel, said, “With this contract, Tractebel reaffirms its commitment to supporting the nuclear industry in the UK, in both fission and fusion, and to contributing to the UK’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 … thanks to our internationally recognized nuclear experience, we are able to provide innovative solutions for the most complex projects. We look forward to developing our collaboration with First Light Fusion.”

In January, First Light Fusion and the UKAEA signed an agreement to design and build Machine 4. This machine will promote the development of technologies for future inertial confinement fusion power plants.

First Light says “it will have a stored electrical energy of around 100 megajoules, with the ability to launch projectiles at a speed of 60 kilometers per second. This impact speed inside the target will accelerate to around 200 kilometers per second thanks to First Light’s exclusive amplifier technology. The amplifier focuses the projectile’s energy into the fusion fuel, increasing the pressure resulting from the impact to transmit it to the fuel and shaping the waves to produce spherical implosions.”

The current Machine 3 propels a projectile at a speed of around 20 kilometers per second.

French start-up Stellaria secures €23mn ($25.2mn) in funding to accelerate the design of its fast neutron nuclear reactor, with first fission expected in 2029 and commercial deployment targeted for 2035.
The Bulgarian National Audit Office report highlights persistent delays and contractual irregularities in the implementation of the national repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
Bahrain has concluded a civil nuclear agreement with the United States and formalised a commitment of $17bn in public investments in the US market, further strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Kairos Power has installed the vessel for its third test prototype in Oak Ridge, aiming to validate manufacturing methods for its future Hermes reactor supported by the US Department of Energy.
London and Prague formalise a strategic partnership to develop the nuclear sector, focusing on small modular reactors and industrial cooperation on supply chains.
Experts have broadly approved France’s Cigéo deep nuclear waste repository project, highlighting technical uncertainties that demand stronger guarantees for long-term safety.
Uzbekistan advances its nuclear project by signing a protocol with Hungary for the supply and local assembly of dry cooling systems, expanding its industrial partnerships in the region.
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe is asking the European Commission to review its $49bn investment to build Poland’s first nuclear power plant, a step required under the Euratom Treaty before any construction permit can be issued.
The International Atomic Energy Agency mission completed on July 11 warns that the National Nuclear Safety Administration must hire staff to oversee a fleet of 59 reactors in operation and 32 more under construction.
Energoatom signed strategic agreements with Westinghouse and Holtec at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, aiming to establish nuclear fuel production and small modular reactor capabilities in the country.
Tehran agrees to reopen its nuclear facilities to the IAEA, aiming to resume negotiations with Washington, while Moscow pushes for a “zero enrichment” agreement without getting involved in supervision.
TerraPower has selected three new American suppliers for its advanced Natrium nuclear reactor, confirming progress on the project located in Kemmerer, Wyoming, intended to replace a retiring coal-fired power plant.
Energy Exploration Technologies acquires Daytona Lithium, an Australian subsidiary of Pantera Lithium, for AUD40mn ($27mn), bringing its strategic lithium basin footprint in Smackover, USA to nearly 50,000 acres.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has identified no major barriers to licensing the ARC-100 reactor, announces ARC Clean Technology.
SE Ignalina, the Lithuanian nuclear operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French firm Newcleo to explore the integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) using lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology in Lithuania.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi oversaw the signing of new agreements for the construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, thus strengthening the strategic cooperation between Egypt and Russia.
Vistra Corp receives green light to extend Perry nuclear plant operations in Ohio by 20 years, securing regional electricity supply until 2046 and ensuring operational continuity for all its nuclear reactors in the United States.
EDF will hold a 12.5% stake in the Sizewell C nuclear project in the UK, a €1.3 billion investment announced during Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to London, confirming the strategic nuclear energy alignment between the two countries.
The French Cigéo project, designed to bury the most hazardous radioactive waste deep underground, obtains a crucial technical validation before its final authorization, expected by the end of 2027.
EDF confirms the continuation of its industrial project in Fessenheim for recycling very low-level radioactive metals, a first in France requiring specific regulatory authorizations, following a public debate concluded last February.