University of Birmingham and EPRI Launch £2.63 Million Transatlantic Fusion Materials Partnership to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Energy Development

University of Birmingham and EPRI Launch £2.63 Million Transatlantic Fusion Materials Partnership to Accelerate Commercial Fusion Energy Development

(IN BRIEF) The University of Birmingham and EPRI have launched a £2.63 million UK-US research partnership through the FURESHMA programme to accelerate the development of advanced shielding materials for future fusion power plants. Funded by UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and EPRI, with additional participation from Element Six, the project will test boride and carbide materials capable of protecting critical reactor components from intense neutron irradiation, extreme temperatures and thermo-mechanical stresses. The collaboration combines Birmingham’s fusion-materials expertise with EPRI’s experience in nuclear materials, electricity research and technology deployment, with the aim of moving laboratory advances closer to commercial fusion applications. Project data will be made openly available to support UK industry and the wider international fusion community. EPRI works with more than 450 organisations in 45 countries, while Birmingham is also represented on the MatDB4Fusion international initiative. The partnership comes amid wider UK-US cooperation on fusion, with the UK government highlighting the technology’s potential to support more than 10,000 jobs by 2030 and contribute to future energy security and low-carbon electricity generation.

(PRESS RELEASE) BIRMINGHAM, 15-Sep-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Birmingham and EPRI have launched a major UK-US research collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and commercialisation of fusion energy technologies through the FURESHMA — Fusion Reactor Shielding Materials — programme.

The £2.63 million collaboration is funded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and EPRI, with additional participation from Element Six, building on a partnership initially established with Tokamak Energy.

FURESHMA brings together the University of Birmingham’s expertise in fusion materials with EPRI’s capabilities in energy research, nuclear materials and technology deployment. The programme will focus on testing advanced boride and carbide shielding materials designed to protect critical components inside future fusion power plants.

These materials must withstand some of the most demanding operating conditions anticipated in future energy systems, including intense neutron irradiation, extreme temperatures and high thermo-mechanical stresses. Improving their durability, reliability and long-term performance is considered an important step toward making future fusion facilities commercially viable.

Professor Arunodaya Bhattacharya, Chair in Fusion Energy at the University of Birmingham and Deputy Head of Research in the School of Metallurgy and Materials, said fusion has the potential to provide secure, low-carbon electricity for future generations, but commercial deployment depends on finding materials capable of surviving the severe conditions within a working fusion reactor.

He said combining Birmingham’s expertise in fusion materials with EPRI’s understanding of the energy sector could accelerate development of practical solutions capable of moving fusion power closer to grid deployment.

The new collaboration builds on existing research between EPRI and the University of Birmingham and is intended to connect advanced materials science with the practical needs of future commercial fusion plants. The partners also aim to support technology transfer and shorten the path between laboratory discoveries and deployable energy technologies.

Fusion seeks to replicate the process that powers the Sun and could potentially provide large volumes of reliable electricity from abundant fuel sources. The partners see the technology as having potential to contribute to climate objectives, strengthen energy security and meet rising global electricity demand.

EPRI brings more than five decades of energy and electricity research and development experience and works with more than 450 organisations across 45 countries. Through FURESHMA, it will contribute technical expertise and industry perspectives intended to ensure that research results are relevant to future fusion plant operators, investors and energy technology suppliers.

Steve Chengelis, EPRI Vice President, Nuclear Development and Fusion, said commercially viable fusion plants will need to be buildable, reliable and maintainable, requiring a deeper understanding of how critical materials behave under fusion conditions.

He said FURESHMA will connect advanced materials research with the practical requirements of future plant developers and operators, while strengthening international knowledge exchange and supporting the technical foundation required for fusion deployment.

The project will also emphasise open science and knowledge sharing. The University of Birmingham and EPRI have agreed that data generated through the programme will be made openly available, allowing UK industry and the wider global fusion research community to benefit from the findings.

Professor Rachel O’Reilly MBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Birmingham, said the collaboration creates a transatlantic bridge connecting the university’s nuclear materials science expertise with opportunities to accelerate the deployment of fusion technologies.

The partnership builds on an expanding relationship between Birmingham and EPRI spanning advanced materials, manufacturing, irradiation effects and materials qualification, and is expected to create further opportunities for joint research, innovation and training.

The announcement comes as the UK government has launched the Global Fusion Summit and strengthened cooperation with the United States on fusion energy.

Michael Shanks, Minister for Energy, said fusion could potentially provide virtually limitless clean energy while supporting more than 10,000 UK jobs by 2030, attracting investment and creating commercial opportunities for British companies. He said closer UK-US cooperation could help accelerate commercial fusion and convert advanced research into economic growth.

The University of Birmingham is also involved in the international MatDB4Fusion initiative, which is working to improve access to high-quality materials data for fusion research. Professor Bhattacharya serves on its Steering Committee, with Birmingham currently the only university represented on the programme. Andrew Sowder, EPRI Senior Technical Executive for the Fusion Energy Strategic Program, also serves on the Steering Committee.

FURESHMA forms part of a broader effort to develop the materials knowledge and industrial pathways needed to move fusion technology from scientific research toward commercially deployable electricity generation.

Notes for editors

About the University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.

England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.

About the programme

FURESHMA (Fusion Reactor Shielding Materials) is a collaborative research programme focused on developing advanced materials for future fusion power plants. The project is funded through a Prosperity Partnership supported by UKRI/EPSRC, EPRI and industrial partners.

Founded in 1972, EPRI is the world’s preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organisation, with offices around the world. EPRI’s trusted experts collaborate with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, and affordable access to electricity across the globe. Together…shaping the future of energy.®

Media Contacts:

Tony Moran
International Communications Manager
University of Birmingham
+44 (0)7827 832312
t.moran@bham.ac.uk

Laura Thompson
Communications Manager
EPRI
lauthompson@epri.com

Professor Arunodaya Bhattacharya
Chair in Fusion Energy
Professor of Fusion Energy in the School of Metallurgy and Materials, at the University of Birmingham
Phone: +44(0)1214147213
Email: a.bhattacharya.1@bham.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Birmingham