Britain's atomic brain trust gives itself till 2030 to unpick fusion challenges

The UK Atomic Energy Authority published a 2026-2030 strategic roadmap for fusion development with £2.5 billion in funding, targeting four critical technical challenges: plasma core performance, tritium-free fuel cycles, system integration, and commercial viability. The effort focuses on the STEP project in Nottinghamshire and MAST research at Culham, with development milestones (but not a completed reactor) expected by 2030.