Oxford Sigma has successfully completed thermal commissioning of its Tritium Extraction and Measurement (E&M) system under Project VICE (Validation In Ceramics Experiments), a project funded by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) LIBRTI (Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation) programme. The E&M system establishes a new UK capability for engineering-scale tritium extraction and measurement from neutron irradiated lithium ceramic breeder materials, supporting the development of a future fusion breeder blanket and fuel cycle technologies.
The VICE project was launched to accelerate the development of lithium ceramic breeder technologies that will enable future fusion power plants to generate and sustain their own tritium fuel supply. As fusion programmes worldwide move closer towards commercial deployment, demonstrating reliable tritium breeding, extraction and recovery have become a critical challenge for the sector. Oxford Sigma’s newly commissioned E&M system directly addresses this need by providing a dedicated platform for studying tritium release behaviour, extraction efficiency and fuel cycle integration at engineering relevant scale.
Developed to investigate bulk tritium release from kilogram scale lithium ceramic breeder materials, the system enables controlled recovery and analysis using a scalable helium sweep gas process operated at temperatures representative of future fusion breeder blanket and tritium fuel cycle technologies (approximately 500 °C). The capability also provides highly sensitive tritium detection and measurement, achieving sensitivities of around 10 Bq and enabling detailed characterisation of tritium recovery performance.
The successful commissioning of the E&M system represents another major step part of Oxford Sigma’s wider strategy to accelerate fusion commercialisation through the development of practical breeder blanket and tritium fuel cycle technologies. Together with the company’s in-house lithium ceramic manufacturing capability, bespoke irradiation systems and encapsulation technologies, the VICE E&M system provides an end-to-end platform for breeder blanket materials qualification, irradiation campaigns, tritium extraction studies and future technology demonstrations.
Importantly, this capability strengthens the UK’s position in fusion fuel cycle development and breeder blanket technology innovation. The infrastructure, knowledge and operational experience developed through Project VICE will support future irradiation and extraction campaigns whilst helping establish the industrial supply chain required for commercial fusion energy deployment in the UK and internationally.
The Tritium Extraction and Measurement system was delivered in collaboration with Orbital Fabrications, combining expertise in materials science, process engineering, mechanical design and radiological operations. The project demonstrates Oxford Sigma’s ability to take emerging low TRL fusion technologies from concept through detailed design, manufacture, assembly, commissioning and operation, creating a unique research capability in one of the most technically challenging aspects of fusion energy development.
“The successful thermal commissioning of our Tritium Extraction and Measurement system marks a significant step in establishing the capabilities needed to support future fusion fuel cycles. By bringing together materials development, irradiation programmes and tritium extraction within a single integrated programme, Oxford Sigma has created an end-to-end capability that bridges the gap between breeder material development and engineering-scale tritium recovery. This capability will support future breeder blanket technologies, strengthen the UK’s fusion supply chain and help accelerate the commercialisation of fusion energy.”
Dr Mustafa Iqbal, Project Lead on VICE at Oxford Sigma
“Last year, the UKAEA LIBRTI programme launched a competitive £8.5 million funding call for fusion fuel experiments and Oxford Sigma was selected in recognition of its expertise in experimental systems and the production of lithium ceramics for fusion’s applications.
It has been fantastic to see the teams work together throughout the project, from manufacturing the ceramics and developing the system design, to bringing that design to life and successfully demonstrating the thermal performance of the complete system. The project has delivered excellent results, and the experience gained will help inform future experiments as LIBRTI progresses towards delivering a world-leading facility for tritium breeding research and development.”
Dr Andy London, Head of Programme for LIBRTI at UKAEA
“We are delighted to have partnered with Oxford Sigma on this project, delivering a tritium extraction system to meet the demanding technical and safety requirements of the application. The successful commissioning and positive results demonstrate what can be achieved through close collaboration, specialist engineering expertise and a shared focus on delivery. Fusion energy represents an exciting opportunity for the UK, and Orbital is proud to play a part in supporting the development of this important technology. We look forward to applying our expertise in complex, safety critical fluid systems to further projects within the fusion sector.”
Freddy Carter, Engineering and Projects Director at Orbital Fabrications
About Oxford Sigma
Oxford Sigma is a Fusion Technology company with a vision to tackle energy security and climate change by accelerating the commercialisation of fusion energy. Our mission is to deliver materials technology, materials solutions, and fusion design services. Oxford Sigma aims to produce advanced materials technologies, agnostic to fusion approach, for the materials ecosystem. Our fusion core materials are engineered to enable longer term operations for fusion pilot plants, with the aim of roll out to the first-of-a-kind commercial power stations. Oxford Sigma is internationally recognised as a key fusion materials and technological leader.
Get in touch at [email protected]
About UKAEA
UKAEA is the national organisation responsible for the research and delivery of sustainable fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
UKAEA runs the fusion machine MAST-Upgrade (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) and is delivering the transition of JET from plasma operations to repurposing and decommissioning. The insights gained from this process will contribute to the advancement of sustainable future fusion power plants.
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is a major technology and infrastructure programme that will demonstrate net energy from fusion, fuel self-sufficiency and a route to plant maintenance. UKAEA is STEP’s fusion partner and will work alongside STEP’s industry partners – one in engineering and one in construction – with the following short-list announced here.
The STEP programme is being delivered by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) a wholly owned subsidiary of UKAEA Group. UKIFS will lead STEP’s integrated delivery team to design and build the prototype plant at West Burton site in Nottinghamshire, targeting first operations in 2040.
UKAEA is now engaging in Fusion Futures, a programme that aims to foster world-leading innovation whilst stimulating general industry capacity through international collaboration and the development of future fusion power plants.
UKAEA also undertakes cutting edge work with research organisations and the industrial supply chain in a wide spectrum of areas, including robotics and materials.
More information: https://www.gov.uk/ukaea. Social Media: @UKAEAofficial
About Orbital Fabrications
Orbital is a market leader in high purity gas and liquid delivery systems, specialising in orbital welding and high-tech fabrication since 1988. Orbital offers an integrated service spanning design engineering, in-house manufacturing, and on-site installation – including orbital and manual TIG welding, cleanroom assembly, helium leak testing, and full documentation and certification.
Orbital works closely with clients to design and produce tailor made solutions that meet process and performance requirements, drawing on decades of engineering expertise to deliver systems where reliability and purity are non-negotiable.
Orbital works across demanding sectors including energy, hydrogen, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and process industries, where the integrity of welds and systems is critical.
More information: https://orbitalfl.com/