UKAEA and Stellarex Energy to advance fusion power development

MOU supports the commercialization of fusion energy technology

OTTAWA, ON and OXFORD, United Kingdom, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellarex Energy and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the advancement of stellarator fusion energy technology.

This MoU provides a framework for joint scientific research and engineering validation to accelerate the deployment and development of Stellarex's simplified stellarator fusion power plant design.

The collaboration focuses on critical technical areas required to transition fusion from experimental science to industrial-scale engineering. Under the terms of the MOU, Stellarex and UKAEA will partner on several key initiatives, including plasma physics and confinement, high-temperature superconductors technology, operational systems, diagnostics, and fuel cycle.

"Stellarex is delighted to be collaborating with the UKAEA, an organization at the forefront of the global effort to commercialize fusion energy," said Dr. Spencer Pitcher, Co-founder and CEO of Stellarex Energy. "By combining our simplified stellarator approach with UKAEA's unparalleled fusion expertise, we are significantly de-risking the path to a commercially viable fusion power plant."

Stephen Wheeler, UKAEA Executive Director, said: "UKAEA has decades of experience operating powerful fusion machines and solving complex fusion challenges that are relevant to many different fusion system designs. We are committed to supporting fusion developers around the globe to help develop fusion as a source of clean energy for tomorrow's power plants.

"There are many innovative approaches to fusion and UKAEA is pleased to work with Stellarex to support the development of stellarator technology."

About Stellarex Energy

Stellarex Energy is a Princeton University spin-off focused on fusion energy development. By leveraging a simplified stellarator design, Stellarex Energy reduces technical risk and utilizes staged demonstration devices to validate technology, de‑risk scale‑up, and accelerate the commercial and economical deployment of fusion power. Through its strategic partnership with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and its leadership in the Centre for Fusion Energy - a new Canadian public-private partnership focused on advancing fusion energy research and developing a demonstration reactor - the company is accelerating the deployment of fusion power in Canada. Stellarex Energy is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority 

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is the UK's national fusion energy research organisation. We are an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). 

The work we do 

UKAEA's mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy to maximise scientific and UK economic benefit. We do this by being technical experts, partnering with companies and the international research community. At the core of UKAEA's efforts is the operation of world-leading facilities that build a comprehensive knowledge base for fusion energy. By addressing and solving the challenges across the full lifecycle of fusion, and integrating solutions from various disciplines, we establish technical centres of excellence that serve as the foundation for future fusion power plant programmes. UKAEA collaborates with its partners to develop fusion power plants by providing access to our skills, facilities and expertise. UKAEA owns UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) on behalf of the UK government. Through UKFE, we're spearheading the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme to design and build the UK's first prototype fusion energy power plant in Nottinghamshire. To grow the fusion ecosystem, UKAEA focuses on cultivating skilled talent, growing the fusion industry and creating 'innovation clusters'. We actively seek opportunities to advance fusion technologies and communicate its vast potential to stakeholders and the public alike to accelerate fusion energy's future – the energy of tomorrow we need today. 

For further information, please contact:
Stellarex
[email protected]

UKAEA Media Relations
[email protected]

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SOURCE Stellarex, Inc.