Site on shortlist for first nuclear fusion plant
THOUSANDS of jobs could be created in the West of England after a site in the region was shortlisted for a world-first prototype nuclear fusion power plant.
A bid to host the Government’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project at Severn Edge, the site of two neighbouring former nuclear power station sites at Oldbury in South Gloucestershire and Berkeley, in Gloucestershire, has been announced as one of five under consideration.
Nuclear fusion operates on the same principles that power the sun, but harnessing energy in this manner has remained an ambition for scientists for decades.
Some £220m has been invested into finding an appropriate site for the project, which the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has said could be operational by 2040.
STEP is the first stage in the UK’s efforts to become the first country to commercialise fusion energy to meet future electricity needs, as well as contribute to meeting net zero carbon emissions targets.
The plant’s construction and operation also has the potential to create thousands of highly skilled jobs and attract other hi-tech industries to its host region.
A total of 15 sites across the country were long-listed following an open call for sites between December 2020 and March 2021, before being whittled down to five yesterday.
The four other locations are Ardeer (North Ayrshire); Goole (East Riding of Yorkshire); Moorside (Cumbria); and Ratcliffe-on-Soar (Nottinghamshire).
UKAEA will work with each site and its local communities to gain a more in-depth understanding of the socio-economic, commercial and technical conditions of each bid.
A final recommendation to the
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be made next year, with the successful site announced around the end of 2022.
The partnership of local authorities, development bodies and landowners behind the Severn Edge bid, known as the Western Gateway, said development of the plant and its associated business, training and research infrastructure could have a “massive impact” on the region’s economy.
Katherine Bennett, chair of the Western Gateway partnership, said: “We truly believe that the Western Gateway geography offers an unrivalled breadth of skills, supply chain and technology to deliver this pioneering approach to renewable energy.
“I am very excited about the next phase of work with UKAEA, as we continue the assessment process and work together towards a hugely significant piece of infrastructure for the region and for the UK.”
The team behind the Severn Edge bid believes that the site’s proximity to the Culham Centre for Fusion Technology in Oxfordshire will be
an added advantage in the final selection process.
Andy Bates, who is co-ordinating the bid for Bristol-based chamber of commerce Business West, said: “We have an incredible scientific and engineering base here, with high temperature expertise being a particular strength.
“We are also one of the leading regions in digital and digital design, which will be crucial to the success of STEP.
“Culham is just 60 miles away and is the beating heart of fusion technology in the UK... and we see Severn Edge as the lungs in that fusion body. These are very exciting times for this region.”
Professor Tom Scott, one of the Severn Edge nomination team and co-director of the South West Nuclear Hub at the University of Bristol, added: “The region has a vibrant supply chain and base for building nuclear reactors as well as all the leftover expertise in high temperature materials.
“So we have the site and the skilled people to deliver this fantastic world-leading project that will ‘level up’ for the South West and wider geography in terms of jobs and prosperity.”