First fusion power site could create jobs
THOUSANDS of jobs could be created in the South West if plans for the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant succeed.
The base would be created as part of the UK’S roadmap to reach net-zero emissions and would be known as Western Gateway.
Under the current bid, two former nuclear power station sites side-byside in Oldbury (South Gloucestershire) and Berkeley could be used for the UK spherical tokamak for energy production (STEP) - a new way of creating energy through fusion.
People in Bristol and Bath could also get jobs through the scheme, which stretches across the West of England and into South Wales.
A group of local authorities, development bodies, landowners and educators in England and Wales has confirmed the bid, which will be submitted to the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
Around £220million of government money has been set aside to find the right site for the prototype plant, which could be up and running by 2040.
The Western Gateway was launched in November 2019, and is a possible partnership between the West of England and South Wales.
It stretches from Swansea, Cardiff and Newport to Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham, and would create a powerhouse to rival the North and Midlands.
Andy Bates, who is coordinating the project for Bristol-based chamber of commerce Business West, said: “This will be a multi-billion pound investment creating thousands of jobs both in the plant, and related services and industries.
“It is exactly the sort of project we need to help tackle challenges and inequalities across the region that have broadened and deepened as a result of the tough economic climate.
“We have abundant land already identified in national and local policy as suitable for power generation development.
“This is surrounded by a hotbed of expertise in high technology digital, materials and manufacturing industries and close to the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire.
“The region has always been at the forefront of innovation in power generation, and we have modern construction knowhow, a skilled workforce and first-class education and training institutes.
“There is also a groundswell of political and community support. It is a perfect fit.”
Two sites in Nottinghamshire are among the other locations across the country being considered for the fusion plant.
If the Gloucestershire sites are chosen there could be a further two years of assessments before the UKAEA will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
We will know which site has been successful by the end of 2022.
UKAEA considers fusion energy to have several benefits including:
» Zero greenhouse gas emissions and no waste products.
» It’s only by-product inert, non-toxic gas.
» Fusion energy is inherently safe. It is difficult to reach and maintain the precise conditions for fusion - if any disturbance occurs, the plasma cools within seconds and reaction stops.
» There is enough fusion fuel to power the planet for hundreds of millions of years.
» The raw materials for energy production are found in sea water and the earth’s crust.
» Fusion can produce energy ondemand and is not affected by weather.
» Fusion power stations require less land than other renewable technologies.
The bid has the backing of South Gloucestershire Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Stroud District Council, Nuclear South West, Business West, West of England Combined Authority, West of England LEP, Gfirst LEP, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and Bristol University’s South West Nuclear Hub. is helium- an