By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
A nuclear fusion energy plant being built in Nottinghamshire is being described as the “UK’s NASA moment” as it races to become the first of its type in the world.
The pioneering work at the decommissioned West Burton A power station near Retford will create a new clean energy source.
It works by recreating the same process which powers the sun, and scientists say it will become a world-leading breakthrough in the quest to create clean and safe energy which can support millions of homes and businesses.
Called Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), the project will be constructed by 2040.
It would bring with it hundreds of highly-skilled jobs to Nottinghamshire for decades, and was described as a “magnificent opportunity” for the region.
The ambition was frequently compared to the pioneering Apollo moon landing missions during a launch of the vision in Gainsborough, just over the border in Lincolnshire, on Tuesday (July 23).
Backers say once planning permission is secured from the government, the site could place Nottinghamshire, once renowned for its coal-fired power stations, at the forefront of the UK’s and the world’s progress towards sustainable energy.
The STEP project is being led by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UK IFS), which is owned by the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
Professor David Gann, chair of UK IFS, said: “We’re on the cusp of creating an energy source for the world which will be transformative. We’re turning science into reality right here in Nottinghamshire.
“It’s a magnificent opportunity for any region to take on. We’ll see all sorts of new sectors opening up in robotics, AI, engineering, manufacturing and materials, and new companies growing.”
Fusion is the process of combining atomic particles together, releasing huge amounts of energy, and is much cleaner than the nuclear fission currently used by some other power stations.
Scientists have recently achieved nuclear fusion in laboratory experiments, and Professor Gann said it’s a case of “when not if” the technology becomes a reality on an industrial scale.
“The world has made so many breakthroughs in the science of fusion. We know what the problems are we need to solve and we have a pathway,” he said.
“The question is will it be us in the UK who win the race. The Chinese and Americans are investing, along with Japan, Korea and other European nations.
“Britain’s in pole position and we need to keep moving fast to win the race.”
It’s estimated that hundreds of jobs will be created during the design phase, thousands during construction and hundreds more for the long-term operation.
Claire Ward (Lab), the East Midlands elected mayor, said: “It’s the UK’s NASA moment – the chance to develop brand new technology and change the world.
“We’re incredibly lucky to be the place where fusion will start and will build great opportunities for people in this region – and it’s a global opportunity too.
“This is a project that will transform people’s lives with new jobs, new skills and new infrastructure like homes and rail that go along with it.
“This isn’t something will happen over the next five years and that’s the end. It’s generation after generation – not just the benefits of the new technology but longer-terms skills we need in a whole range of STEM subjects.”
Speakers at the event said they would be looking to local young people to develop the skills in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to run the multi-decade project.
The bidding process to find a company to handle construction and another to handle engineering opened in May, with shortlists to be drawn up in October.
The UK IFS is currently seeking feedback from local communities – details on consultations will be published online.
