UK plasma machine reports record
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has reported producing more than 1,100 fusion plasmas.
In its fifth series of experiments on its MAST Upgrade fusion, a new technique was pioneered by the team using measurements of light to detect and control tiny plasma imbalances.
The highest plasma pressure reportedly attained by the machine was achieved while overcoming control problems that are considered essential prerequisites for commercial fusion power.
Experiments ran through 2025 and 2026, and reportedly overcame plasma instability issues and pioneered new techniques.
The scientific results were one of the flagship deliveries of UKAEA’s recently published 2026-2030 Strategy: building the scientific foundations needed to make fusion a deployable, low-carbon energy source.
The results of the experiments featured at the European Physical Society’s Plasma Physics Conference 2026. They are now being shared with the international fusion community.
MAST Upgrade will undergo further enhancements this year, including the addition of two new neutral beam injectors, doubling the machine’s neutral beam heating capacity, and the installation of an Electron Bernstein Wave system that will provide an additional 1.6MW of heating power.
