A private fusion consortium wants to bring stellarator power to the UK grid by the 2030s
Three companies announced on May 6, 2026, that they are joining forces to build the UK's first privately funded fusion power plant. The UK Infinity Fusion Consortium — formed by US-based Type One Energy, British magnet firm Tokamak Energy, and engineering giant AECOM — plans to deploy a 400 MWe stellarator called Infinity Two, delivering around 350 MWe to the grid. If the timeline holds, fusion power could be a commercial reality in the UK within a decade.
The stellarator difference
Most fusion projects, including the UK government's own STEP programme, are built around tokamaks — devices that use powerful electric currents to hold superheated plasma in a ring-shaped field. Stellarators take a different approach: they rely entirely on precisely shaped magnetic coils to confine the plasma, with no need for those large internal currents. The trade-off is engineering complexity. Designing the coil geometry is extraordinarily difficult, but the payoff is potentially steadier, continuous operation without the disruptions that can plague tokamaks.
The concept isn't new, but it has gained serious credibility. Germany's Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) research stellarator has demonstrated stable, sustained plasma operation — proof that the physics works at scale. Type One Energy argues that modern computational power now makes it possible to design stellarators that can actually be built using existing manufacturing methods, not just studied in a lab.
Roles, US roots, and UK ambition
Each partner has a defined job. Type One Energy brings the Infinity Two reactor design. Tokamak Energy — despite the name — contributes its high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology, which is essential for generating the intense magnetic fields needed to contain plasma. AECOM handles engineering and site development, translating physics into infrastructure.
The UK project isn't starting from scratch. It mirrors a parallel American initiative: Infinity Two at TVA's Bull Run site in Tennessee, where a Letter of Intent was signed in September 2025 and construction could begin as early as 2028, with commercial operation targeted for 2034. That US deployment acts as a real-world test bed, reducing risk before the British version goes live.
The UK government has committed £2.5 billion to the fusion sector, backing private-led projects alongside its STEP programme. The consortium intends to build a domestic supply chain and bring in local manufacturers — positioning the UK as a hub for commercial fusion rather than just a host for research reactors.
What comes next
No UK site has been publicly confirmed yet, and private financing details remain undisclosed. But the consortium's formation, per the AECOM press release, marks the project moving from concept to structured development. With a working US reference plant planned for the early 2030s and serious government money behind the sector, the UK Infinity Two is one of the more credible near-term bets on fusion leaving the laboratory for good.