“I’ve been thinking about fusion since I was about eight years old,” says David Homfray, Head of Engineering Realisation at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). “It has always fascinated me what we could do if we could harness the power of the Sun and the stars.”

Homfray was recruited by UKAEA in 2002. He originally applied for a position as a mechanical engineer, a role he admits he was “entirely unsuited for”, and didn’t get the job. But his interviewers were so impressed by his energy and enthusiasm that they offered him a role as a physicist instead.

Today, some 17 years later, Homfray is at the bleeding edge of fusion research, a technology that promises to deliver sustainable electricity without harmful emissions. He is now an Engineer in Charge of the Joint European Torus (JET), currently the world’s most powerful fusion machine, and he also leads a team that is maturing the technologies needed to build a working fusion power plant.

“This is without doubt the most exciting time in the 20 years I’ve been here,” says Homfray. “If you’d have asked me even three years ago whether we could deliver fusion power in my lifetime, I would have given you some nice diplomatic answer. Now, in my opinion, I think we will see it in my career.”

Doughnut or apple?

Homfray’s optimism is well founded. An international consortium is currently building the most ambitious fusion experiment to date in rural southern France. ITER will ultimately produce 10 times more energy than is needed to heat its fusion fuel – generating 500 MW of power for 20 minutes using only 50 MW of input power – and one of its core objectives is to prepare the ground for the first large-scale fusion power plants.

Since ITER is essentially a scaled-up version of JET’s toroidal tokamak design, the experience that UKAEA has gained with JET has made it a critical partner in the ITER project. JET is providing both a testbed for new ITER technologies and a training ground for the next generation of fusion professionals.

Alongside its central role in the development of ITER, Homfray is enthused that UKAEA is also rapidly expanding its world-class capabilities across a broad range disciplines that will be crucial to realizing fusion power as fast as possible. This includes several major new facilities, such as Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE), which is developing robotic maintenance techniques for reactors; the Materials Research Facility for processing and analysing radioactive samples; the Fusion Technology Facilities for testing components in the extreme conditions inside a fusion machine; and the Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) centre for tritium science – a key fuel for fusion reactions.

A particularly exciting new development is a major upgrade to the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST), a UK facility that represents a different approach to fusion power. MAST exploits a spherical design – like a cored apple, rather than the ring doughnut shape of JET and ITER – that was pioneered by the UKAEA in the late 1990s. The compact geometry of the spherical tokamak requires a lower magnetic field, which is less expensive to produce and maintain.

The upgrade to MAST-U, enabled by funding from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, will allow scientists to study long pulse-length plasmas that are closer to the steady-state conditions that will be needed for commercial fusion power plants. “It’s an incredible opportunity for the country to really drive forward the development of a technology the world is crying out for, and in which we are already a global leader,” Homfray adds.

Expanding workforce

With so many new facilities coming online, UKAEA is well equipped to explore a wide variety of promising fusion research avenues. But to make the most of these capabilities, the organization must expand its workforce too. UKAEA needs new recruits, and not just nuclear and plasma physicists. “We’re bringing in people with all types of skills,” says Heather Lewtas, UKAEA’s Head of Manufacturing Realisation. “We’re recruiting chemists, mechanical engineers, physicists, material scientists, biologists, as well as data scientists, AI researchers, roboticists, project managers, business development, HR … you name it, we need them.”

Those joining UKAEA will be contributing to a diverse workforce, which ranges from seasoned nuclear professionals to those just beginning their careers. For the latter, there are certified apprenticeship and graduate schemes in a host of different areas. And all new recruits can take advantage of many exciting continuous professional development schemes, including MSc and PhD fellowships.

Moreover, the collaborative atmosphere at UKAEA allows ideas and results to be shared with colleagues and with the international fusion community. This not only makes UKAEA “an incredibly friendly place to be”, but also accelerates learning and development.

This is without doubt the most exciting time in the 20 years I’ve been here

David Homfray

Lewtas joined UKAEA in December 2016. She is a prime example of how new recruits can develop their skills rapidly and find themselves working on important projects. Though she had a PhD in experimental physics from the University of Oxford, as well as postgrad and industrial experience, like many UKAEA staff she had “no background in fusion, no background in nuclear”. Luckily for her, UKAEA’s excellent formal and informal training, including a mentoring scheme and management development programme, enabled her to rapidly get up to speed.

As a result, just a year into her role at UKAEA she was tasked with leading a project called Joining and Advanced Manufacturing (JAM), which aims to find innovative manufacturing and testing solutions for a fusion power plant by forging collaborations with universities, the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, as well as SMEs and industry. “I enjoy making links between different areas of science and engineering, or between different sectors,” she says. “I absolutely love the fact that I’ve got the opportunity to do that and to make a real difference in progressing fusion in the process.”

Lewtas could not have achieved so much success without a dynamic, energized team behind her. JAM team members have backgrounds from a range of sectors and spanning all levels of experience. Who knows? Her next team member could even be you. “People shouldn’t write themselves off because they think they won’t fit into an organization like UKAEA,” Lewtas says. “Many, many different skillsets can contribute to trying to realize fusion.”