Nick Walkden

Fusion expert - Guitar obsessive - Cornishman

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

#teachers - We’ve got an exciting opportunity for you!

My amazing team have arranged the first Fusion Teachers Conference - aimed at helping you to bring the exciting science and engineering of fusion energy into your classroom.

Oh, and it’s FREE!

https://t.co/oG3CmPMdwJ

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

Fusion people (especially university people!) - we’ve got an exciting opportunity about to launch.

Our new national fusion skills programme hopes to identify and award a new Fusion Engineering Doctoral Training Partnership.

More here! Views welcome!

https://t.co/5ALqI1vXtY

[Andrew Holland @TheAndyHolland]

As home to 3 FIA Members (plus the US home of a 4th), Seattle is probably in the lead for the "cluster" of fusion energy development in the US, as @axios writes. But there is competition, as I'll detail in this 🧵

[Fusion Industry Association @Fusion_Industry]

Yesterday, the @HouseGOP passed the @HouseAppropsGOP Energy & Water Appropriations bill, which includes the @doescience Fusion Energy research budget. https://t.co/weDr4ldoch
As passed, this bill does not support funding for the commercialization of fusion. A🧵 to explain more.

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

FIA statement on the UK Gov’s announcement of £650m new fusion funding as an alternative to Euratom association

https://t.co/4m0uNkeusY

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

Exciting times ahead! Looking forward to kicking this role off. If I can help you, you can help me, or we just share an excitement about fusion - talk to me!

[Fusion Industry Association @Fusion_Industry]

We're excited to announce that the @Fusion_Industry will appoint Nick Walkden as UK Director, effective July 1. Read more here: https://t.co/rQ1NE3cwwH

[Bananelectrons🍌🍌🍌 @bananelectrons]

Working hard on the updated #FusionEnergy database: start-ups + investors

Some insights:

- over 30 active companies today

- 2019-2022 the peak of investment in fusion

- over 80 investors all over the world

- already 7 oil & gas companies made cash inflows in this industry

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@samuelhward Great thread Sam!!

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @Fusion_Industry @takaomae @_RJPearson @dsutherland00 @RocketJoy @energy_common And ofcourse the ‘waste’ product, pure Li7, is in high demand in the nuclear sector. Seems like civil enriched Li is a market waiting to boom to me.

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @Fusion_Industry @takaomae @_RJPearson @dsutherland00 @RocketJoy @energy_common This is a great thread (and sorry I’m late to the party). There are a few D-T concepts that don’t require enrichment (First Light Fusion for example) though there is ofcourse still a major supply chain needed to produce mine, refine, and form it.

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @Fusion_Industry @takaomae @_RJPearson @dsutherland00 @RocketJoy @energy_common But bottom line is no method is actually around at the moment, and I think there is a fair barrier to entry whilst the fusion market is establishing itself. Confident though that a mixture of public research and private innovation will get the job done

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @Fusion_Industry @takaomae @_RJPearson @dsutherland00 @RocketJoy @energy_common Though I think enrichment will likely be needed at least for first gen fusion. The paper you précis is a good one, but there are a lot of methods not mentioned. I particularly like some of the more novel plasma-based methods which have a low footprint, so nicely scalable

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@swurzel @ScottCHsu @ARPAE @AIP_Publishing This is a fantastic animation! Thank you!

[Fusion Industry Association @Fusion_Industry]

Hey @WiredUK - why don’t you give us a call at the @Fusion_Industry and we can talk about how our members are already planning for fuel sources. There is no fuel crisis. https://t.co/gXFjZeQg8C via @WiredUK

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @takaomae @dsutherland00 @Gregdt1 @dkirtley @TheAndyHolland @samuelhward @sacca So all in all I haven’t been very helpful :) Probably any fusion power plant will need public backing in early generations to be cost competitive (is there any energy technology that hasn’t?) but even at relatively expensive costs there might still be a reasonable market for it

[Nick Walkden @nickwalkden]

@bananelectrons @takaomae @dsutherland00 @Gregdt1 @dkirtley @TheAndyHolland @samuelhward @sacca But, ITER probably gives a reasonable lower bound estimate on DEMO class devices (Eg EU, China, Japan style design programmes) which are bigger but produce more MW.