Fujikura Signs a Framework Agreement to Supply HTS Wire for the UK's STEP Fusion Plant
Fujikura has signed a framework agreement to supply high-temperature superconductor wire for STEP, the United Kingdom’s prototype fusion power plant. The Japanese manufacturer was selected through competitive bidding by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions. The agreement builds on Fujikura’s earlier fusion-magnet research for the same programme.
Fujikura won the supply role through competitive bidding
On 22 May 2025, Fujikura announced a framework agreement with UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) to supply high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire for STEP, which stands for Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production. The company was selected through a competitive bidding process, and the agreement extends work it had already done on HTS magnet development with Kyoto Fusioneering under the programme led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
STEP is intended to be a prototype fusion power plant, to be built at a site in Nottinghamshire. Securing a wire supplier through a formal framework is part of moving the programme from research toward construction.
The wire is what makes a high-field fusion magnet possible
A spherical tokamak confines plasma with magnetic fields, and the strength of those fields sets how compact and how effective the machine can be. HTS wire, specifically rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) tape, carries high currents in strong fields, which is why fusion developers have moved to it. Our materials guide explains the reasoning.
The deal adds to Fujikura’s fusion order book
Fujikura is one of the largest HTS wire makers and has been expanding capacity to meet fusion demand. Supplying a national fusion programme like STEP, alongside its work with other developers, deepens a fusion order book that the company has cited as the reason for scaling up production. Fujikura’s HTS work appears alongside other suppliers in our project tracker.