Nottinghamshire County Council leader and local MP Ben Bradley said billions of pounds in investment and thousands of new jobs are anticipated following news the world’s first fusion energy reactor will be built in the county.
The Government announced earlier this week that the prototype power plant will be at the West Burton A power station site, in north Nottinghamshire.
The site was one of 15 locations being considered for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production project – known as STEP – which is being led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Ratcliffe-on-Soar, in the south of the county, was dropped from the shortlist at the start of 2022 because of a land availability issue.
If it can be made commercially viable, fusion could offer a virtually limitless source of clean electricity by copying the processes that power the sun.
The Conservative MP and council leader said: “We are so proud to have played our part in this amazing, once-in-a lifetime news for Nottinghamshire.
“This will bring incredible benefits to the county and wider region, including millions, if not billions worth of investment, putting it at the heart of the government’s plans to revolutionise the way we generate energy in the UK.
“The site will be the international hub for carbon-neutral, fusion development, attracting the brightest minds locally and from across the world, boosting skills, training, and creating thousands of highly skilled jobs.
“We are an ambitious county and have a proud heritage of producing energy which helped power the industrial revolution, but now we will be at the heart of the UK green energy revolution too.
“The prototype site will be the first time fusion energy will be commercialised, so there’s big plans to sell this technology across the world, which means Nottinghamshire will be even more on the export map.
“This news positions Nottinghamshire and the region more firmly as major player in the levelling up agenda. And under our proposed East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority, adds strength to our calls to be considered for other world-leading economic projects in our region.
Nottinghamshire County Council coordinated the application process for the county working with partners including the site landowners EDF, Bassetlaw District Council, Midlands Engine, ERA and local LEPs.
Matt Sykes is managing director of EDF’s Generation business which owns the West Burton site.
He said: “Developing such an exciting new project continues this tradition and has the potential to transform both the region and the UK’s long term energy supply.”
The UKAEA will be responsible for all aspects of the planning, development, construction and operation of the facility, with work expected to start in the early 2030s and power production expected to start around 2040.
