A new vessel installed at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham campus is intended to expand the experimental range of MAST Upgrade. UKAEA reported November 3 that engineers had positioned the 12-tonne component, which will accommodate two additional neutral beam injectors.

The planned system would raise neutral-beam heating power from 4.4 to 8.8 megawatts. Researchers expect the hotter plasma conditions to help examine stability at higher pressure and test the machine’s exhaust arrangements. The work supports investigation of technologies relevant to future fusion power plants.

The vessel’s placement does not mean the upgraded system is already producing those conditions. Major internal hardware is expected to be fitted by the end of autumn 2027, followed by commissioning for scientific experiments scheduled to begin in 2028.

Other work includes repurposed power equipment from JET, a beam-line module and a cryopump to manage vessel pressure. The November announcement therefore marks an engineering stage within a larger programme, with assembly and commissioning still separating installation from the planned experiments.