Transport engineers from BSP Consulting were involved in a Culham Science Centre scheme which will deliver a new Fusion Demonstration Plant for the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
Planning consent has recently been granted by South Oxfordshire District Council for the multi-million pound facility.
It will be operated by Canadian-based company General Fusion, which is developing a fusion power device based on Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) technology. This is a form of fusion which uses the process that powers the sun to create carbon-free, safe and abundant electricity.
Transport engineering
BSP delivered the Transport Assessment and Travel Plan work in liaison with Oxfordshire County Council, and provided input into the transport elements of the site master planning work.
Transport director Mark Rayers said: “BSP is very pleased to hear that planning permission has been granted for this Culham Science Centre scheme. The Fusion Demonstration Plant is an important facility on the site and one which has huge potential for the future.”
The Fusion Demonstration Plant is a critical step towards achieving commercial fusion power. The new facility will demonstrate that fusion conditions can be practically achieved using MTF technology. The test machine will be constructed at 70% of full power plant scale to enable the testing and refinement of fusion technology through ongoing research and development based on actual performance. This testing and research will pave the way for the company’s future commercial power plant.
By locating the new facility at Culham Science Centre, the Fusion Development Plant will benefit from existing fusion supply chain activities in the UK as well as UKAEA’s knowledge and expertise in the field.
National property consultancy Carter Jonas secured planning permission for the development, working alongside the project team which included BSP Consulting, AL_A Architects, Fabrik Landscape Architects, ARUP, Ecology By Design, Donald Insall Associates, Hatch, and Tree Frontiers.
Professor Sir Ian Chapman, CEO of UKAEA commented: “UKAEA welcomes this milestone as it aligns with our strategy to create clusters that accelerate innovation in fusion and related technologies, and support public-private partnerships to thrive. It also builds upon our heritage of hosting major fusion facilities here at our Culham Campus.”
See the project in the news here https://www.businessinnovationmag.co.uk/carter-jonas-achieves-planning-consent-for-fusion-demonstration-plant-at-culham-science-centre/
Photo caption: The fusion demonstration will be built to 70 per cent scale of a commercial power plant at UKAEA’s Culham Campus. The fusion machine is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and fully operational by early 2027.
Photo credit AL_A.
