'The pathway to delivering fusion power' with Prof Ian Chapman

Past Event

Date
 13 October 2022, 5:00pm - 6:15pm

Location
 Oxford Martin School & Online
34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, OX1 3BD

Event Recording:

Fusion offers the potential to provide continuous, safe and low-carbon power.

However, there remain technical challenges to overcome to realise fusion as well as various other enabling measures which will be needed to make fusion a reality as soon as possible.

In this talk, Professor Ian Chapman, CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, will begin by explaining the UK government strategy to delivering fusion and setting this in the context of other major fusion programmes internationally. It will then describe the major technical challenges required to deliver a magnetic fusion powerplant and give a brief overview of some of the key deliverables and discoveries that will be required on that pathway. An overview of recent major discoveries in the field will be presented together with a future outlook for the pathway to delivering fusion power.

Ian Chapman headshot

Professor Ian Chapman
CEO, UK Atomic Energy Authority

Ian Chapman became CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and Director of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in October 2016. He has held a number of international roles in fusion, including membership of the Princeton Plasma Physics Advisory board, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Plasma Physics advisory board and chairing the IAEA International Fusion Research Committee.

His research has been recognised with a number of international awards, including the Institute of Physics Paterson Medal in 2013, the European Physical Society Early Career Prize in 2014, the American Physical Society Stix Award in 2017, the Royal Society Kavli Medal in 2019 and the Institute of Physics Glazebrook Medal for leadership in 2021. He was made a Fellow of the Institute of Physics in 2013 and became a visiting Professor at Durham University in 2015.