UKAEA Completes Heavy Enclosure Lift for Spherical Tokamak

Recently, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) flagship spherical tokamak experimental device (MAST Upgrade) reached an important engineering milestone with the successful lifting and installation of a 12-tonne dual-layer beam enclosure.

The enclosure is specifically designed to house two additional neutral beam injectors (NBI). With the subsequent installation of related infrastructure and supporting systems, the neutral beam heating power of the MAST Upgrade device is planned to increase from the current 4.4 MW to 8.8 MW, doubling its heating capability.

The core strategic objective of this upgrade is to explore plasma physics behavior under extremely high temperature and pressure conditions, and to focus on testing the ultimate capability of the core heat exhaust system (such as the Divertor) to handle the heat load of higher-performance plasmas, thereby providing key technical and physics parameter support for the UK's prototype fusion power plant (STEP) project.

Currently, multiple supporting works, including beamline modules, cryopumps, and other heating equipment, remain under intensive construction. The UK Atomic Energy Authority emphasizes that the doubling of heating power and the achievement of higher-temperature plasma states are phased engineering and physics objectives, and are progressing steadily according to the established construction schedule.