Kyoto Fusioneering to collaborate with UK-based Alloyed Ltd and TWI Ltd
Key project lays platform to explore advanced manufacturing approaches and strengthen the UK fusion supply chain in support of future fusion power plants
Kyoto Fusioneering, a leading innovator in fusion energy plant engineering, today announced that it has been awarded a major contract by UKIFS (UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd) to develop a segment of an advanced manufacturing demonstrator for future fusion blanket concepts. This contract is the first that Kyoto Fusioneering UK has been awarded by UKIFS.
The work will be led by Kyoto Fusioneering’s UK business – a full subsidiary of the Japan-based parent company – in collaboration with two other British-based companies, Alloyed Ltd and TWI Ltd (The Welding Institute).
Alloyed Ltd is an Oxford-based company at the forefront of metal component innovation using additive manufacturing (AM). TWI Ltd is an organisation celebrated worldwide for its materials, welding, joining and non-destructive testing (NDT) expertise.
Kyoto Fusioneering will be lead partner of the project and will oversee all activities, such as the integration of partner contributions, fabrication, inspection, and documentation to ensure compliance with contractual requirements.
The tie-up between the three organisations is significant as it shows the emerging UK fusion supply chain coming together to develop solutions vital for future commercial fusion power plants. This year has been significant for the UK fusion sector with £2.5 billion of funding allocated to develop the technology by the British Government in June’s Spending Review.
Commenting on the collaboration, Ryan Ramsey, Director of Organisational Performance at UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd, said: “Developing the capability to manufacture advanced fusion components in the UK is an important step toward the realisation of commercial fusion energy. This collaboration with Kyoto Fusioneering, Alloyed and TWI reflects the strength of the emerging UK fusion supply chain and the shared progress being made toward future fusion power plants.”
“We are incredibly excited to have been chosen to develop an advanced manufacturing demonstrator for future fusion blanket technologies by UKIFS in cooperation with Alloyed and TWI for this strategically vital project. It augurs well for the future of UK fusion to see key systems and components being developed and delivered by an emerging UK-based fusion supply chain.” Said Colin Baus, UK Director of Kyoto Fusioneering
“We are delighted to support UKIFS and Kyoto Fusioneering on the Breeder Blanket Segment Demonstrator. Alloyed is fully aligned with the UK’s Net Zero goals and is committed to being part of the UK fusion supply chain, contributing a unique set of additive manufacturing technologies applicable to a range of materials relevant to future fusion systems.” Said Dr Shaumik Lenka, Associate Director – Core Technology (Materials) of Alloyed.
“TWI looks forward to being part of this strategic collaboration with Kyoto Fusioneering and Alloyed. Advancing future fusion blanket manufacturing technologies will strongly support the goal of making fusion a more practical, sustainable, and economically viable energy source. This award by UKIFS marks an important milestone, enabling shared expertise and joint development to ensure that the UK remains a global leader in the race to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable fusion power.” Said Paola De Bono, Section Manager of Power Beam Processing at TWI.
The demonstrator will be developed in three distinct parts. These parts and test coupons will be produced by Alloyed’s advanced LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion) process for metal components followed by accurate dimensional verification.
The demonstrator will be manufactured using fusion-relevant steel and advanced additive manufacturing and welding techniques to produce a representative module suitable for high-level structural evaluation.
The chosen manufacturing methodology has been selected because it has been evaluated as one of the most scalable production techniques and has the potential to scale to the meter plus dimensions with complex geometries, allowing changes in shape to accommodate a range of future fusion system geometries.
Contact details for media:
Kyoto Fusioneering UK Ltd:
Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) is a global engineering company dedicated to developing advanced systems for commercial fusion power plants. Founded in Japan and building on decades of domestic fusion research, KF operates in five countries with a workforce of around 160 people that work to deliver key technologies for plasma heating, tritium fuel cycle, and breeding blanket systems.
Kyoto Fusioneering UK (KFUK) was established in 2021 as the company’s first engineering and design hub outside Japan. Since then, KFUK has rapidly grown to a team of over twelve based at Culham Science Centre, home of UKAEA (UK Atomic Energy Authority). KFUK delivers cutting-edge technologies and fosters collaborations that strengthen the UK’s position as a leader in the global fusion industry.
Dan Marter, General Manager, KFUK – d.marter@kyotofusioneering.com
Megumi Yogo, Public Affairs Division –media@kyotofusioneering.com
Alloyed Ltd:
Alloyed is an advanced materials company headquartered in Oxford, UK, with a mission to deliver the finest metal components in the world through a fully digital approach. We operate world-leading platforms for the design and fabrication of advanced alloys, alloy components, and integrated systems serving the energy transition, defence, and wearable electronics sectors.
While our current focus is on additive manufacturing, Alloyed’s technologies extend across all routes for producing advanced metal components, providing end-to-end capability from alloy design and processing through to complex component manufacture. We work with leading customers across all sectors we serve and continue to scale rapidly, with current twelve-month revenues of £20–25 million and year-on-year growth of approximately 50%.
Alloyed employs around 150 engineers and operates from its Oxford headquarters, supported by an AS9100D-certified satellite production facility in Seattle, USA.
Shaumik Lenka – shaumik.lenka@alloyed.com
TWI Ltd:
TWI Ltd is one of the world’s foremost independent research and technology organisations, founded in 1946 and headquartered at Granta Park near Cambridge, UK. We deliver impartial engineering consultancy, bespoke research and development, professional training, and technical support across materials, welding and joining technologies, structural integrity, non-destructive testing and inspection to industrial member companies and stakeholders in all major sectors around the globe. With multidisciplinary teams of internationally respected scientists and engineers, facilities in the UK and overseas, and an established international training and examinations programme, TWI is trusted for innovation, problem-solving and knowledge transfer throughout the lifecycle of engineering products and assets.
Paola De Bono, Section Manager – paola.debono@twi.co.uk
AloJapan.com