Experts unite to secure funding and launch fusion energy consultancy

A new consultancy has been launched to speed up fusion energy technology advancements for private companies working to commercialise fusion.

The consultancy, Fusion Energy Partners Limited (FEP), comprises a team of six fusion energy experts who combined have over 250 years of experience.

FEP is a spin-out from United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). It operates independently, offering consultancy services to bring fusion energy out the lab and into real world engineering scenarios.

The team is led by Dr Chris Peters, who is joined by Dr Andrew Kirk, Dr Brian Lloyd, Dr Elizabeth Surrey and Dr Tim Jones, who have worked at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) on the transformative Joint European Torus (JET) research programme at Culham Campus.

According to FEP, the team member’s experience in JET means they are are well positioned to advise businesses working in this field, as well as secure funds. This was demonstrated recently when they secured £100,000 ($126,000) in funding from innovation investors, UKI2S managed by Future Plant Capital.

Mark White, investment director UKI2S, commented on the funding in a release: “We are delighted to announce our £100,000 investment in Fusion Energy Partners. Our commitment reflects a deep belief in the transformative potential of fusion energy to shape the future...We’re excited to see how this venture will push the boundaries of innovation and drive the UK’s leadership in global energy solutions.”

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Dr Chris Peters, managing director of Fusion Energy Partners, added: “Fusion energy technologies are breaking out of research phases and into the mainstream as a reliable and sustainable energy source of the future. Our team has an unrivalled depth and breadth of expertise, and they have spent their entire working lives on advancing these technologies. We are all passionate about sharing that accumulated knowledge to enable fusion energy to become a reality.

“Fusion Energy Partners provides a platform to pool our expertise and tackle wider and interlinked challenges. We are in an exciting new era and with the backing of UKI2S, we look forward to engaging with the global fusion research community to contribute genuine value and insight that can help unlock the next generation of innovation.”

According to FEP, the team will support new people entering the fusion sector through mentoring and coaching opportunities and career development.

Added Peters: “Fusion is a key part of the UK’s future long-term clean energy plans, and we need the personnel as much as we need the technology to be able to move this forward. Compared to other sciences, there is still a relatively small number of people working within the fusion sector in the UK, so it would be great to work with those who are just starting out, so that we can help their careers and projects progress more quickly.”