TAE and UKAEA form joint venture for neutral beam fusion supply chain

TAE Technologies and the UKAEA have established TAE Beam UK, a joint venture focused on commercializing advanced particle accelerator technology for neutral beam injection systems and broader applications including cancer therapeutics and materials processing.

The partnership combines TAE’s two decades of proprietary accelerator intellectual property with UKAEA’s operational experience from maintaining the Joint European Torus neutral beam systems at Culham Campus. TAE Beam UK will operate from the Oxfordshire facility, establishing a manufacturing and service hub for neutral beam systems compatible with multiple fusion confinement schemes.

TAE currently deploys eight neutral beams on its field-reversed configuration machine, using the systems for both FRC formation and plasma sustainment. The accelerators generate proton beams that are neutralized before injection, allowing the uncharged particles to penetrate the magnetic field and deliver heating, current drive and stability control. The design eliminates the need for separate formation and sustainment systems, reducing overall plant complexity and footprint.

UKAEA is committing £5.6 million in equity to the venture, with TAE providing nine-figure backing driven by its own near-term neutral beam requirements. The joint venture targets delivery of short-pulse beam systems within 18 to 24 months, pending regulatory approval.

Beyond fusion applications, the accelerator technology has been adapted for boron neutron capture therapy systems through TAE Life Sciences, demonstrating the platform’s versatility for high-energy particle beam applications. TAE Beam UK joins TAE Power Solutions in the West Midlands as part of the company’s expanding UK operations in the fusion supply chain.

The partnership extends existing US-UK collaboration in fusion energy development, with both governments citing fusion’s potential for meeting increased power demands from artificial intelligence infrastructure. UKAEA brings expertise from over 40 years of fusion research and JET’s world-record fusion performance, while TAE contributes experience from five generations of experimental devices and approximately 1,600 granted patents globally.