UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) is delighted to
announce the appointment of Professor Howard Wilson as Director
of Science and Technology, helping to lead STEP (Spherical
Tokamak for Energy Production), a pioneering programme to deliver
the UK's first prototype fusion energy plant.
An internationally renowned expert in fusion science, Howard
brings extensive experience and expertise to the role and will
become the first UKIFS Executive Committee member based at West
Burton in Nottinghamshire, a former coal-fired power station site
where the prototype plant will be built.
Over the past 18 months, Howard has been the Fusion Pilot Plant
Research & Development Lead at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
in the United States; prior to this he was based at the
University of York where he founded the York Plasma Institute and
the Fusion Centre for Doctoral Training.
As Director of Science and Technology, Howard will oversee
development of the plasma solution for STEP and will lead on the
requirements for technology demonstration, both physical and
digital, ensuring that modelling, simulation and testing tackles
the specific challenges refined through the evolving whole plant
design. He will work together with Chris Waldon (Chief Engineer)
and Debbie Kempton (Director of Engineering Programme) in a
triumvirate that will plan and ensure viable technologies, in an
integrated plant design, that is developed and delivered in a
robust way.
Paul Methven, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions and Senior
Responsible Owner for STEP, said: “As we embark on the second
phase of the programme, Howard will be key in leading the
development critical technologies for STEP, supporting the
development of the fully integrated plant design. His impressive
track record of fusion research and delivery will help to deliver
the UK's prototype fusion energy plant alongside the development
of a fusion industry.”
The appointment marks a return to the STEP programme for Howard –
he became the first Programme Director for STEP from 2019 to 2020
following a secondment to the UK Atomic Energy Authority as
Research Director in 2017.
Howard has served on numerous international programme reviews and
committees, including the International Union of Pure and Applied
Physics (IUPAP), and chaired the International Tokamak Physics
Activity (ITPA) in Pedestal and Edge Physics in support of ITER
from 2008 to 2011. He has been a member of EUROfusion's Science
and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) (2022-2023) and
currently serves on the U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy
Sciences Advisory Committee.
STEP is the UK's flagship fusion programme that will demonstrate
both a technical and industrial pathway towards commercial
realisation, supporting the clean, safe, and sustainable energy
over the long term.
UKIFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority
Group and will be responsible for the delivery of STEP from later
this year. The programme aims to create future opportunities
for suppliers ranging from whole plant integrators to critical
system manufacturers that can design and deliver future plants
worldwide in addition to benefitting the communities that
surround West Burton.
Fusion can be thought of as the opposite of fission – combining
lighter atoms rather than splitting heavier ones. It is
based on the same processes that power the sun and stars and has
potential to provide safe, sustainable and low-carbon energy for
generations to come.
