BRIDGEND, UK. October 22nd, 2026: LTi Vessco has contributed its advanced manufacturing and fabrication capabilities to a collaborative research initiative exploring new thermal shield technologies for the UK’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. The project brought together leading industry and research organisations to develop and assess potential solutions that could support the engineering demands of future fusion power plants.
Working alongside the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and scientists from the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the consortium investigated alternative thermal shield designs intended to improve cooling performance in one of the most technically demanding engineering environments.
Fusion energy is considered a promising long-term route to generating safe, low-carbon electricity. Inside a fusion reactor, thermal shields help protect superconducting components, which must operate at extremely low temperatures, from the intense heat produced by plasma-facing systems.
The project opened with an extensive optioneering process, comparing a range of thermal shield concepts with the approach currently used for the ITER fusion programme, which is under construction in southern France. After completing detailed design assessments and computational modelling, MTC shortlisted two concepts for prototype production and testing.
LTi Vessco applied its expertise in high-integrity fabrication and advanced manufacturing to develop the demonstrator units. The company was responsible for designing and commissioning the manufacture of prototypes for both selected concepts, followed by a comprehensive testing programme to assess their performance.
In total, LTi Vessco designed and manufactured seven demonstrators based on the two shortlisted concepts. Following production, selected units received specialist surface treatments, including silver plating, mechanical polishing and electropolishing. The demonstrators then underwent more than 20 individual tests, including emissivity testing. Testing and evaluation took place at LTi’s facilities in Bridgend and Abingdon, its Metaltest mechanical testing laboratory, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Didcot.
The findings indicated that both prototype concepts could offer significant benefits for the STEP programme. Each demonstrated substantially better thermal cooling performance than the conventional welded pipe approach currently used in the ITER reactor.
Further research and development will be required to establish whether either design will ultimately be adopted for STEP. Nevertheless, the project marks a valuable step forward in the development of technologies that could help bring commercial fusion energy closer to reality.
Julian Vance Daniel, Business Development Director of LTi Vessco, said: “Fusion energy represents one of the greatest engineering opportunities of our time, and we’re proud that LTi Vessco has been able to contribute its manufacturing expertise to a project supporting the UK’s fusion ambitions.
“Projects like this demonstrate the value of collaboration between industry, research organisations and scientific institutions. Working alongside the MTC, the AMRC and UK Fusion Energy has enabled us to apply our capabilities to the development of innovative technologies that could play an important role in the future of clean energy.”
Edgar Rayner, Managing Director of LTi, added: “Projects like STEP demonstrate the important role that UK manufacturers can play in developing the technologies needed for the future.
“At LTi, we’re proud to be involved in work that goes beyond traditional manufacturing, bringing together engineering expertise, innovation and collaboration to help address some of the biggest challenges facing the energy sector.
“It’s a great example of our ethos, Making Stuff That Matters, and the contribution our businesses can make to the UK’s future energy ambitions.”
LTi Vessco has extensive experience in producing complex, high-integrity engineered solutions for the nuclear, energy and process industries. Its contribution to STEP highlights the company’s ability to support emerging technologies that demand precision manufacturing, stringent quality control and specialist fabrication expertise.
As investment in fusion research expands, initiatives such as this demonstrate how UK manufacturers can help turn promising engineering developments into practical technologies for future commercial energy generation.
ENDS
