The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production: theme issue introduction

• Published in: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences Vol. 382; no. 2280; p. 20230416
• Main Authors: Chapman, I T, Cowley, S C, Wilson, H R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 09.10.2024
• Subjects: fusion energy; plasma physics; magnetic confinement fusion
• ISSN: 1364-503X; 1471-2962; 1471-2962
• DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0416

This theme issue collects together papers summarising the conceptual design of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). In 2019, the UK government funded the first design stages of a prototype fusion powerplant based on a compact toroidal geometry, called STEP. The primary technical aims of STEP are to produce net energy, to be self-sufficient in tritium fuel and to demonstrate a maintenance regime that would extrapolate to appropriate availability for commercial powerplants. After 5 years and over 1000 person-years of detailed scientific and engineering conceptual design, this theme issue acts as a compendium of the current design basis for STEP, noting that this is a snapshot in time and that the design will continue to evolve. This article is part of the theme issue 'Delivering Fusion Energy - The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP)'.