UKAEA and Eni Unite to Construct the World's Largest Fusion Fuel Facility

Image Credit: UKAEA

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Italian energy giant Eni have signed an agreement to push the boundaries of fusion energy research. Their first mission? Constructing the world’s largest and most advanced tritium fuel cycle facility, a key milestone in the race toward commercial fusion power.

Slated for completion in 2028, the UKAEA-Eni H3AT tritium loop facility—pronounced "heat"—will take shape at UKAEA’s Culham Campus in Oxfordshire. Once operational, it will spearhead efforts to refine tritium recovery, recycling, and re-use, critical processes for fueling future fusion power stations.

Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, exists naturally in the atmosphere but is also a byproduct of nuclear reactors. This rare substance holds the potential to power fusion reactions, mimicking the same energy process that fuels the Sun—two hydrogen isotopes fusing under extreme heat and pressure to generate massive amounts of clean, emissions-free energy.

Fusion is seen as a game-changer for energy security and decarbonization. The H3AT facility will serve as a global hub, enabling industry and academia to study the processing, storage, and recycling of tritium at an unprecedented scale.

Beyond the construction of H3AT, UKAEA and Eni will collaborate on cutting-edge fusion technologies, from advanced fuel cycle innovations to skills transfer initiatives. With Eni’s expertise in large-scale project management, the partnership aims to accelerate the transition from fusion research to real-world energy solutions.

“This demonstration plant will set a new global benchmark, furthering our mission to unlock fusion’s potential,” said Sir Ian Chapman, CEO of UKAEA.

Meanwhile, UKAEA has also inked a memorandum of cooperation with the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation, focusing on robotics and autonomous systems for nuclear decommissioning and advanced research collaborations.

From Oxford to Fukushima, the fusion revolution is gaining momentum—and with it, the promise of an era powered by near-limitless, clean energy.