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Oxford, UK, 09 December 2025: First Light Fusion (FLF), a global leader in fusion energy innovation, has today announced it has been successfully awarded a contract with the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Industry Simulation Software for Fusion project as part of UKAEA’s wider programme to test and improve computer simulation tools for fusion energy.

Fusion energy is the process which powers the sun and the ability to recreate it here on Earth is often referred to as the ‘holy grail’ of energy generation as to do so would enable the generation of a clean and virtually limitless energy source. To make fusion happen on Earth, scientists and engineers need to create temperatures hotter than the sun (over 100 million degrees centigrade) and build advanced technologies in which to contain it.

The case study on which First Light Fusion is working will focus on demonstrating how its software can predict reliability of key components of a fusion machine – specifically the monoblocks which protect fusion machines from extreme heat loads – and how they perform in very harsh conditions.

First Light Fusion will use its advanced Data Science Toolkit, which includes powerful software for building predictive models and running reliability tests. This is the first time these tools will be used in an external project. The work will be led by First Light Fusion experts Rafel Bordas and Damilola Adekanye, with oversight from Thomas Edwards.

On partnering with UKAEA, Rafel Bordas, First Light Fusion, Head of Data-Driven Engineering, said: “Being awarded this contract to demonstrate reliability analysis of a monoblock is an important opportunity to apply our advanced software and data-driven modelling capabilities to real-world engineering problems in fusion machines. It is particularly rewarding to see methods originally created for inertial fusion energy research can now contribute to advancing tokamak design and supporting the broader UK fusion mission.”

Dr Jonathan Horne-Jones, ISSF Project Lead at UKAEA, added: “We have been delighted with the response to our call for engagement with fusion’s simulation challenges. The collaborative approach we are encouraging will be the fastest route to achieving the simulation capability needed for realisation of commercially viable fusion. We thank First Light Fusion for bidding for this work and look forward to working with them on the project.”

ENDS