Oxford-based
Tokamak Energy, the UK’s leading fusion technology company, has accelerated the growth and manufacturing capabilities of its
TE Magnetics business with the acquisition of Leicester-based engineering specialist
Ridgway Machines which will operate as a subsidiary, with the existing brand, workforce and facility remaining unchanged.
TE Magnetics launched in September 2024 to focus on the industrial deployment of transformative high temperature superconductors (HTS). This is a key technology that will enable the next generation of energy-producing fusion devices and has the capacity to disrupt a range of sectors worth hundreds of billions of pounds.
Ridgway Machines, founded in 1920, develops solutions for winding and insulating superconducting magnets and cables, and will enable TE Magnetics to scale-up its UK manufacturing facilities to produce commercial products across multiple industries.
Warrick Matthews, Tokamak Energy CEO, said: “Since launching the TE Magnetics brand, we have been successful in securing contracts for a range of HTS products and it is now time to scale this up. The acquisition of Ridgway Machines, a thriving business with a highly skilled workforce, will accelerate TE Magnetics’ manufacturing method development to deliver high-quality products at scale.
“Ridgway’s specialist engineering capabilities combined with TE Magnetics’ world-leading HTS design and prototyping knowledge will deliver breakthroughs in performance, efficiency, and accessibility across a wide range of industries, helping to address global challenges and accelerate the electric revolution.”
Ambitious and transformative plansAndy Glanville, managing director of Ridgway Machines, said: “Throughout our 100-year history, the company has always been forward looking. This track record means Ridgway is well suited to expansion and this new period of growth. In Tokamak Energy, we are proud to be joining one of the UK’s most exciting technology businesses and to play our part in its ambitious and transformative plans.
“Both businesses exist to provide innovative solutions to some of the most pressing and important technological challenges the world is facing, and we cannot wait to get started on new projects together.”
HTS materials conduct electricity with virtually no power loss. When engineered into magnets, they generate exceptionally strong and stable magnetic fields within compact, lightweight systems – unlocking new possibilities in fusion energy and other applications ranging from electric zero-emission flight to analytical science.
Tokamak Energy has pioneered HTS magnets since 2012, long before their importance for delivering clean, limitless fusion energy was widely recognised. Its advanced winding, testing and production techniques are key to creating robust and reliable HTS magnets for many industrial applications, including fusion, science and medicine, power systems, power distribution, manufacturing, and propulsion for land, water, air and space.