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Energy: Magnets

Asked by James NaishLabourDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 28 February 2025UIN 31189

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing high-temperature superconducting magnet technology in the UK.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy

High Temperature Superconducting magnets will not only be critical for fusion energy machines such as STEP, but have potential to revolutionise aviation, trains, marine propulsion, medical scanners, wind turbines, materials processing, big science facilities, and more. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and the private sector, to support the establishment and growth of the UK’s HTS magnet capabilities, to capture the benefits of this growing market, and ultimately enable the delivery of commercially viable fusion energy.

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