Prospective research and development for fusion commercialisation

Abstract

As well as the mainstream activities aimed at delivering DEMO to meet the high-level targets and timetable outlined elsewhere, there is a parallel stream of research investigating and developing technology to provide alternative and risk-mitigating options for DEMO and/or a fusion power plant, targeting the delivery of commercially viable fusion energy. This programme is termed Prospective Research and Development (PRD). The focus is on research into promising alternative technologies that do not form part of the main DEMO programme due to their current readiness level or higher programmatic risk due to development uncertainty, but which offer the potential for improved reactor performance in the long-term, and/or risk mitigation in case the baseline options cannot be validated. These alternatives may naturally, if achieved in time, be re-adopted into the DEMO programme. As well as the technological challenges, fusion has to meet social and economic requirements. Therefore in complement to research on technology, there is research into the socio-economic factors which are anticipated to impact the wider adoption of fusion: future energy system modelling, public awareness and attitudes towards fusion, energy policies, etc. This work helps to indicate important factors which must be considered in the longer term if fusion is to become a widely-accepted and -deployed future energy source, and therefore provides a view of “market pull” for the requirements the technology programme must meet to be successful.