âA pivotal developmentâ: new exhaust system could clear major hurdle for fusion energy 26 May 2021 Professional Engineering 'First plasma' at the UK's Mast Upgrade fusion energy experiment in October last year (Credit: UKAEA) A âworld-firstâ concept developed by scientists at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) could clear one of the major hurdles in developing commercial fusion energy. Initial results from UKAEA’s Mast Upgrade experiment in Culham, near Oxford, demonstrated the effectiveness of an innovative exhaust system that could keep fusion power plants operating for much longer. Using a tokamak reactor, fusion power stations will heat a plasma to enable types of hydrogen to fuse together, releasing energy that can be used to generate electricity.