Summary of the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference under the topics materials, in-vessel components, next-step machines, and licensing and safety and socio-economic and environment

This paper represents one half of a set of two, covering the TECHNOLOGY presentations at the Fusion Energy Conference (FEC), held in London, UK, in October 2023. Dominant themes include the use of computing codes to pre-determine machine performance in fusion device design, the impetus that ITER and DEMO are providing for component fabrication innovation, and a growing global focus on blanket materials and fuel retention mechanisms. New themes include power plant costing and the control of activated corrosion products. Stellarator technology is noted, but this is not yet a strong innovation theme at FEC. The latest fusion material science considers operating conditions in power plant service, especially the impact of fuel cycle and superconducting magnet fields; fuel cycle technologies consider electrical coupling and the need for insulating components to control the magnetohydrodynamic response. Optimising correction coils and the thickness of Toroidal Field components to withstand loads is becoming increasing critical in next-step machine design. The latter increasingly utilises integrated frameworks for high-fidelity modelling. Whether coupling armour, blanket and shielding or dose rate fields with geometry, these platforms require high-performance computing. With respect to power plant programmes, the DEMO design continues to assume pulsed operation; JA DEMO, with or without neutral beam injection, sees the electron cyclotron scenario enabling 2 h of pulsed operation at 80 MW of external heating and current drive power. Spherical tokamak work —from the development of the Spherical Tokamak Advanced Reactor in the USA for substantial reduction in weight and cost, to the Spherical Tokamak with Toroidal Magnetic Field 3 T in Mexico, continues to gain momentum. Regulatory approaches are steering away from typical nuclear fission traditions. New safety focus is emerging around transport of activated corrosion products. Outreach on the benefits of fusion must be couched in the framework of legacy, as viewed by a new generation of power stakeholders.