Dassault Systèmes, UK Fusion Energy Advance UK’s Prototype Fusion Power Plant

Dassault Systèmes announced it has entered into a new, £30 million contract with UK Fusion Energy Ltd (UKFE) to support the delivery of the UK’s prototype fusion power plant through the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) program.

UKFE’s fusion energy expertise combines with Dassault Systèmes’ virtual twin and collaborative innovation technologies to strengthen the UK’s position in the move toward clean energy leadership. The deployment and expansion of Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform will provide the digital engineering foundations needed to design, develop and operate next-generation fusion power plants and research facilities.

STEP, the UK Government’s flagship fusion energy program, aims to design and build a prototype fusion power plant by 2040. As part of the agreement, Dassault Systèmes will expand product lifecycle management and engineering collaboration capabilities through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, a core component of STEP’s Plant Information Management System (PIMS).

The platform will provide a unified engineering environment enabling program teams and supply chain partners to collaborate using shared, real-time data across the full lifecycle of the plant. By improving information continuity and reducing operational silos, the collaboration is expected to enhance engineering productivity.

The agreement also marks a  milestone in establishing the UK’s sovereign digital capability for fusion energy infrastructure. The Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform will lay the foundations for STEP’s long-term virtual twin strategy, enabling engineers to model, simulate, test and optimise highly complex fusion systems in virtual environments before and throughout physical construction and operations.

Leveraging virtual twin experiences, engineers will be able to address multiphysics challenges associated with fusion energy development while improving engineering accuracy, operational readiness and lifecycle performance. The digital framework will also support the evolution of STEP through detailed design, construction, commissioning and future operations by aligning all stakeholders around a standardized and connected engineering environment.

“This agreement marks an important milestone in the evolution of the information baseline for the STEP Prototype Fusion Power Plant at West Burton. PIMS, powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, will play a critical role in enabling fast, efficient and rigorous engineering delivery while creating the blueprint for future fusion power plant," says Debbie Kempton, director of Engineering Programme at UK Fusion Energy. 

“As we advance toward a virtual twin for STEP through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, UKFE is establishing the digital engineering foundations required to deliver the next generation of fusion power plants,” says John Turnbull, managing director EURONORTH, Dassault Systèmes. “This deployment will strengthen engineering continuity, accelerate innovation and ensure that plant information, engineering decisions and system designs remain fully connected across the entire lifecycle of the prototype power plant.”

Dassault Systèmes’ role within STEP reflects its broader focus on enabling the industrialzsation of transformative technologies through science-based virtual twin experiences that connect research, engineering, manufacturing and operations within a single collaborative ecosystem.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.