Written evidence submitted by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (RAD003)

This response is submitted on behalf of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which manages the UK’s magnetic confinement fusion programme at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. The Culham site has major scientific infrastructure (see paragraphs 1 to 3) and research closely linked with UK universities, international collaborators and industry. This is made possible by leveraging UK funding with more than 50% European funding. The UK Atomic Energy Authority would be very pleased to host a visit by the House Commons Select Committee, if that is thought to be helpful.

Magnetic Fusion Research and Development in the UK

1. The UK has world-leading infrastructure in magnetic fusion research. JET, at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE[1]) in Oxfordshire, is the largest operating magnetic fusion device in the world and the only one capable of significant fusion. It is the largest EU funded scientific device in the UK and is operated by the UK on behalf of its European partners. JET has been upgraded many times in its 30 year lifetime and it continues to produce ground breaking science.
2. The Culham site also hosts the UK’s innovative compact fusion device, MAST (which is mainly funded by EPSRC, but is also leveraged by international funds) and a recently launched Material Research Facility, which is part of the National Nuclear Users Facility (NNUF) for fission and fusion. Both of these facilities have strong UK university involvement, with for example a remote control room for MAST at York University.
3. In addition to the JET and MAST facilities, the supporting infrastructure such as manufacturing workshops, design offices, engineering test beds, specialist IT infrastructure etc. are invaluable in support of both the EU and UK fusion programmes as well as related research activities. Culham retains the capability to design, project-manage and construct large (£10-£100M) facilities.
4. Our fusion programme is funded around two thirds by the European Atomic Energy Community, Euratom (mainly via the JET Operation Contract, JOC) and one third by the RCUK energy programme by an EPSRC grant.
5. In addition, we receive funding from the Commission under a Contract of Association (CoA) between Euratom and us for specific fusion research carried out on their behalf. In 2014 and beyond both the JOC and CoA arrangements are changing as part of the introduction of the new EU research framework programme (Horizon 2020), with the emphasis moving from delivery of individual Association programmes to delivery of the overall Euratom fusion programme priorities, centred around ITER, the next-step international fusion project currently under construction in the south of France. We welcome this change in emphasis.
6. EPSRC awarded us a six-year grant in 2010 to the end of March 2016. The grant provides a funding platform and an additional £20 million funding for the upgrade of the MAST facilities. This grant was a significant demonstration of Government support for our fusion programme. Work will begin during the coming years on proposals for the period following March 2016.

Future Research

7. In addition to pure fusion research, there are a number of common research links between fission and fusion[2] that require new research infrastructure. Some examples are given here.
8. The economic viability of advanced fission and fusion depends on the development of materials that remain robust under high energy neutron irradiation. Currently, there are no international facilities capable of testing material performance in such conditions. Such a facility could be provided by an accelerator based neutron source and the UK has world-leading expertise in this area and in the analysis of the material effects produced.
9. Successful operation and maintenance of future fission and fusion reactors requires advances in non-autonomous robotic systems. Indeed these systems are needed in many other extreme environments in space, medicine, marine and defence. Facilitating the transfer of technologies and techniques across multiple industrial sectors to allow a cross fertilisation of ideas will drive forward progress in this field, resulting in rapid technology growth. CCFE and other national laboratories, universities and industrial partners are proposing a multi-sector centre/facility to drive forward innovation in non-autonomous robotic systems for extreme environments.

Governance Structures

10. Major scientific infrastructure projects require significant experience and expertise in their development and project management. Beyond a certain scale this can only be provided by Public Sector Research Establishments, such as CCFE, NNL, Daresbury and RAL (in the physical sciences). They provide an effective route to the management of larger scale facilities, which individual universities or industrial partners could not do. Also the existence of major existing infrastructure and expertise at such PSRE sites generally means they are the most cost effective location for major new scientific infrastructure. However PSRE’s are most potent when they are strongly linked to the university research base – the engine of the UK’s research excellence – and the high tech. industrial sector. CCFE, like many PSREs, has spun out many companies and technologies. PSREs also train many technicians and engineers in frontier technologies. World class PSREs are hard to create but not to destroy.
11. The success of the UK Fusion programme is testament to the long term planning, collaboration and funding provided by both the UK Government and the European Union. The European roadmap for fusion has just been updated and provides a long term view of the road to electricity production from fusion by the middle of this century[3] including continued operation of the JET facility to support the International project ITER.
12. The recent publication of the Long-term Nuclear Energy Strategy, R&D Roadmap and Nuclear Industrial Strategy by Government, in response to the House of Lords Inquiry into Nuclear Research and Development Capabilities is welcome, and the recommendations of these reports now need to be implemented.

Partnerships

13. The longevity of JET (which has just ‘celebrated’ its 30th birthday) and the ensuing scientific progress that has paved the way to ITER, has required strong support by the UK – currently through BIS and EPSRC (and formerly DTI).
14. Major international scientific projects bring large benefits to the host nation. For example JET (the largest example in the UK) has an annual operating budget of about £45M, much of which remains within the UK economy. There are many examples outside the UK of major scientific facilities benefiting the host nation(s) such as CERN and the European Synchrotron Facility (France). The UK could reap the benefits of hosting further international facilities.
15. Even if a facility is not on UK soil, which is the case with ITER (southern France), maintenance of a strong UK presence in its design, construction and exploitation ensures the UK is well placed to benefit from the new technology and develop key know-how. UK industry has received over €200M in ITER contracts so far. During the operation of the facility, high quality video links and remote computer access make physical presence at the facility less important scientifically.

Conclusion: Planning for Future Infrastructure

16. The strength of UK research is not reflected in the proportion of large EU or international science facilities on our soil. CCFE’s experience with JET demonstrates the enormous advantages of hosting EU facilities. Now is the time to plan future facilities and to develop the case for siting selected international facilities in the UK.

August 2013