Joint European Torus: Fusion Contract Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Chris Skidmore
Main Page: Chris Skidmore (Conservative - Kingswood)Department Debates - View all Chris Skidmore's debates with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Joint European Torus: Fusion Contract
Chris Skidmore Excerpts(5 years, 1 month ago)
Written StatementsRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Chris Skidmore)
Having made my first speech at Culham, I know how hard-working and dedicated UKAEA staff are, which is why I am pleased to announce that on 27 March 2019 the European Commission and the UK signed a new contract extension for the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in Culham, Oxfordshire. JET is the world’s biggest operational fusion reactor, undertaking research in technology aimed at providing clean, safe, inexhaustible energy. JET is operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and is funded primarily (87.5%) by the European Union; this contract extension will secure at least €100 million in additional inward investment from the EU over the next two years. Crucially, the contract extension will last until the end of 2020 regardless of wider EU exit negotiations, safeguarding this world-leading facility and over 500 high-skilled science and engineering jobs at Culham.
The UK Government previously (27 June 2017) agreed to guarantee the UK’s fair share of JET funding to the end of 2020 should this contract extension be agreed. This latest outcome is the natural culmination of that open and collaborative approach and underlines the strong and enduring partnership between the EU and the UK in science and research.
[HCWS1467]