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Fusion Fuel Cycles joint venture begins construction of UNITY-2 test facility

Fusion Fuel Cycles has begun work on its UNITY-2 facility, a unique test bench designed to validate the full tritium fuel cycle under fusion conditions, marking a key step toward fusion energy.

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Fusion Fuel Cycles, a joint venture formed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Kyoto Fusioneering, has launched construction of its experimental UNITY-2 site within the Chalk River complex in Ontario. The facility will be the first to enable full validation of the deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel cycle under conditions representative of a fusion reactor, with closed-loop tritium circulation.

The project aims to address one of the key technical bottlenecks in transitioning from fusion research to the development of pilot plants. The UNITY-2 system is designed to demonstrate, at industrial scale, critical D-T cycle technologies, ranging from injection to purification, including storage and isotopic separation. The site will handle up to 30 grams of tritium in a 24-hour operational cycle, with expandable capacity up to 100 grams.

A strategic infrastructure for fusion industrialisation

The consortium has started dismantling existing equipment to prepare the infrastructure required for installing UNITY-2’s technical systems. The project aims to deliver an integrated testing platform for operational validation of the fuel cycle, essential for advancing from experimental to electricity-generating fusion facilities.

Kyoto Fusioneering stated that the project anticipates the needs of future pilot reactors, expected to be built between the late 2020s and early 2030s in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. According to the company, UNITY-2 will play a key role in bypassing systemic risks that currently slow the sector.

Private funding and commissioning scheduled for 2026

In August, Fusion Fuel Cycles finalised a ten-year, $20 million (CAD27.46mn) financing agreement with California-based General Atomics, a group engaged in the fusion sector. This funding will contribute to completing construction and launching the first testing phases under real-world conditions.

The facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2026. A recruitment plan will follow to assemble the teams needed for the testing phases and ongoing operations scheduled for early 2027.

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