Maturing the Design
The design, delivery, and operation of a large-scale infrastructure project is challenging at best. For the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) Prototype Powerplant (SPP), the challenges increase exponentially. In addition to being a large-scale infrastructure project, it is a cutting edge, first of a kind (FOAK) technology demonstrator. The design teams are working in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment, one where technology is constantly emerging, maturing and changing. STEP will be unlike any power plant ever built and requires the development of new technologies and capabilities, but also a novel approach to planning and maturing the design. By taking a holistic view of the engineering lifecycle from the start, the programme will be better positioned to achieve an SPP that is both fit for purpose and economically viable. This paper will review the key challenges in maturing a first of a kind fusion power plant and look in depth at how the STEP team are maturing the required capabilities and plans to ensure successful delivery of the SPP.