NSTX-U magnet bundle is delivered to PPPL and prepared for installation

[Marlin]

NSTX-U magnet bundle is delivered to PPPL and prepared for installation

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-18/article-8131/nstxu-magnet-bundle-is-delivered-to-pppl-and-prepared-for-installation/

[Core Content]

Source: ans.org.

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has received a 23,000-pound central magnet bundle for the National Spherical Torus Experiment–Upgrade. Manufactured in Spain, the component arrived in New Jersey and is currently undergoing preparation for installation. Technicians will lower the shielded bundle into the tokamak interior to facilitate future plasma confinement experiments.

This hardware is central to the spherical tokamak design, which aims to produce fusion plasma more efficiently than traditional donut-shaped devices. By testing fuel conditions and AI control tools, the facility intends to provide data for the Department of Energy roadmap. These efforts support the development of a commercial fusion industry by the mid-2030s.

The central magnet bundle for the National Spherical Torus Experiment–Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has been delivered to the facility in New Jersey, the national lab recently reported. The school bus–sized, 23,000-pound magnet bundle, manufactured at Elytt Energy in Bilbao, Spain, consists of a toroidal field magnet...

PPPL Director Steven Cowley said of the event, "NSTX-U has capabilities found in no other plasma device anywhere in the world, and it will play a critical role in determining the future of commercial fusion. This is truly a moment to celebrate."

Spherical tokamak design: Dave Micheletti, the associate laboratory director for engineering at PPPL and the project director for NSTX-U, called the delivery of the magnet bundle "truly a momentous occasion. Now our full focus is on finishing machine reassembly and bringing this device to the world."

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/2026-06-18/article-8131/nstxu-magnet-bundle-is-delivered-to-pppl-and-prepared-for-installation/