Project tackles some of fusion energyâs most complex challenges 22 Apr 2021 Plasma in the Mast Upgrade fusion energy experiment (Credit: UKAEA) A pilot project has produced new technologies to tackle some of fusion energyâs most complex issues. Challenges such as machine operation in the strong magnetic fields of tokamak devices and creating protective ‘bioshields’ for fusion plants were tackled with new technology developed in the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Fusion Innovation Challenge. The project, also involving five companies, ‘threw down the gauntlet’ to industry experts to help unlock fusion’s huge potential to supply sustainable energy. The authority announced ‘first plasma’ at the Mast Upgrade fusion energy experiment in October last year following a seven-year build, a vital step for the future energy source.