The partnership will develop neutral beams for fusion and accelerator innovations non-fusion applications
Tae Technologies, a US private fusion energy firm, has committed to a bilateral and reciprocal investment with the UK's national fusion laboratory, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to commercialise Tae's proprietary particle accelerator technology for the global market
The partnership involves the joint venture Tae Beam UK, a collaborative project that will integrate the partners' collective scientific knowledge, commercialisation experience and market innovation to develop this advanced particle accelerator technology, starting with neutral beams for fusion.
The venture plans to design, develop, manufacture, and service neutral beams for a range of fusion approaches, as well as adapt the accelerator technology for applications such as cancer therapeutics, food safety, and homeland security.
Tae has over two decades of experience in patented intellectual property and particle-accelerator R&D, and is an expert in neutral beams, which are crucial to commercial fusion. For a fusion machine to produce electricity, it needs to keep plasma steadily confined at fusion-relevant conditions. On Tae's current fusion machine, eight neutral beams are placed at precise angles to meet those requirements.
A neutral beam is a stream of neutral, high-energy hydrogen atoms, created by combining accelerated protons with electrons inside a neutral beam canister. As the particles have no charge, they can bypass the fusion reactor's magnetic field to provide heating, current drive and plasma stability. Tae is the first to utilise neutral beams for FRC plasma formation and high-quality plasma sustainment, developing a design that is smaller, more efficient, and cost-effective.
The same accelerator technology that delivered Tae's neutral beam system for fusion has also been adapted for Tae's medtech subsidiary, Tae Life Sciences, to provide non-invasive, targeted treatment for complex and inoperable cancers.
UKAEA, the UK's national fusion laboratory, operated the Joint European Torus (JET), and through decades of running and maintaining JET's neutral beam system, it has developed facilities and deep technical expertise in this technology.
A hub for fusion technology
Tae Beam UK plans to operate from UKAEA's Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, aiming to establish the UK as a global hub for this fusion technology and boost the economy through high-skilled job creation.
Michl Binderbauer, CEO, Tae Technologies, said, “The UK has long been at the forefront of fusion innovation, and we're proud to deepen our partnership with UKAEA. The UK's world-class scientific talent and unwavering commitment to commercialising fusion energy make the country an ideal partner as we scale neutral beam technology from lab to market. Together, we're building critical infrastructure for the fusion supply chain and ensuring that the US-UK partnership can together remain central to the fusion economy of the future.”
Tim Bestwick, CEO, UKAEA, said, “UKAEA is very much looking forward to working in partnership with Tae Technologies on developing neutral beams and commercialising this exciting technology, bringing jobs and growth to the UK. They have shown the way as a global leader in applying fusion technologies to other markets, and Tae Beam UK will join Tae Life Sciences and Tae Power Solutions as great examples of this innovation in action.”
UKAEA is planning to make an equity investment of £5.6m in this new project, including engaging some of the world's experts to work on this fusion technology and to utilise expertise from operating JET. Tae Beam UK is backstopped by Tae's nine-figure investment in the technology, driven by future usage requirements.
The project aims to produce the first short-pulse beams within 18-24 months of commencing work. The foregoing remains subject to customary approvals.
Lord Vallance, minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said, “Britain is a world-leader in the fusion industry and today’s partnership between the UKAEA and Tae brings us one step closer to reaching its promise of limitless clean energy. This builds up our Technology Prosperity Deal with the US, which includes closer working on fusion, as we continue to support the industry by backing it with over £2.5 billion, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, from Nottinghamshire to Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire.”
Lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis of California said, “This partnership between Tae Technologies and the United Kingdom’s Atomic Energy Authority is a powerful example of what global collaboration can achieve. We’re grateful to forward-looking partners like the UK government for investing in this critically important technology, one that’s made right here in Southern California and advancing a cleaner, more sustainable future for us all.”
