Tokamak Energy has signed an agreement with Japan's Furukawa Electric Group for the supply of specialized High temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. Tokamak Energy, based near Oxford, is seeking global deployment of commercial nuclear fusion by jointly developing spherical tokamaks with high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets.

In December, Tokamak Energy's upgraded fusion energy unit, the ST40, achieved its first plasma after resuming operations following a recent upgrade, as part of the company's mission to demonstrate grid-connected power generation by the early 2030s. The ST40 Tokamak achieved plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius - the threshold needed for commercial fusion energy - in early 2022. The new experiments relate to future features that will be incorporated into the next phase of the ST80-HTS advanced prototype fusion facility and the subsequent fusion test plant ST-E1.

The belt is used in the construction of ST80-HTS high field spherical tokamak. Koha Electric, based in Tokyo, and Koha's New York-based SuperPower will supply several hundred kilometers of tape for the ST80-HTS, which makes extensive use of HTS magnets. Production of tapes for ST80-HTS is already going on at its SuperPower plant in New York, and the first batch has been delivered to Tokamak Energy.

HTS magnets are an important driver of the low cost, commercial operation and global deployment of spherical tokamak devices. They are essential for limiting fuel temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius. Tokamak Energy and Koha Electric Group, leaders in the field of HTS magnet design and superconducting strips, are also currently evaluating scale-up plans to meet the requirements of the ST-E1 pilot plant.

"Building our next advanced prototype, ST80-HTS, is a key milestone in our mission to promote commercial nuclear fusion as a clean, sustainable, low-cost and globally usable energy source," said Chris Kelsall, CEO of Tokamak Energy. Partnering with a leading global supplier like Guhe Electrician Group strengthens our ability to address the dual challenges of climate change and energy security."

Keiichi Kobayashi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koha Denko, Inc., said, "The Koha Denko Group has set a vision for 2030 to pursue businesses that address the social agenda and contribute to the development of sustainable energy solutions. In addition, we have developed the Environmental Vision 2050 as our commitment to the future of the planet. New forms of fusion Energy are central to these goals, and we expect that our superconductor will play a key role in the collaboration between Tokamak Energy and Koha Electrics."