AIRTO member UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)’s £200 million Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation (LIBRTI) programme has announced a series of significant steps to advance fusion energy development. The announcement aligns with the UK’s Department for Energy and Net Zero’s recent support for the nation’s fusion programme and budget plans for 2025/2026.
Part of the broader Fusion Futures initiative, LIBRTI focuses on pioneering fusion fuel advancements and stimulating general industry capacity through international collaboration. Over its four-year span, the programme aims to demonstrate controlled tritium breeding, a critical step for future fusion power plants.
As part of this effort, UKAEA intends to purchase a neutron source which will form the backbone of a first-of-a-kind testbed facility to be built at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire. UKAEA will also provide £9 million funding for 12 small-scale tritium breeding and digital simulation experiments.
