Name of the Project
Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP).

Location
UK.

Project Owner/s
UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

Project Description
The STEP is the UK’s ambitious programme to design and build a prototype fusion plant. It will demonstrate the commercial viability of fusion.

Most fusion reactors are built in the shape of a ring doughnut, while the spherical plant is shaped more like a cored apple. This shape improves efficiency in the magnetic field and potentially reduces the plant’s cost. 

The plant is expected to be smaller than other current fusion programmes under development, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

The project will be developed in phases.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to support thousands of new highly skilled jobs.

Capital Expenditure
£222-million has been allocated to begin the STEP design work.

Planned Start/End Date
The proposed plant is targeted for completion by 2040.

Latest Developments
Cerberus Nuclear and Assystem have been selected to deliver the STEP reactor in-board shield design as part of the STEP engineering framework. 

Cerberus’ neutronics and radiation transport expertise will play a key role alongside Assystem’s experience in fusion thermal and mechanical analysis.

The project concerns the extreme environment within the central column of the STEP fusion reactor, where temperatures can range from more than 100-million degrees Celsius within the plasma to less than -200 °C within just a few metres.

The aim is to protect the sensitive toroidal magnets within the central column that work to contain the high-temperature plasma. Cerberus’ role involves the optimisation of the shielding to maximise the operational lifetime of these crucial reactor components.

The delivery of this project is key in advancing the STEP fusion reactor design to the next phase, moving UKAEA to achieving a commercially viable fusion power plant.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Cerberus Nuclear and Assystem (STEP reactor in-board shield design).

Contact Details for Project Information
UKAEA, tel +44 1235 528822 or email mediaenquiry@ukaea.uk