Tension mounts as South West renews its support for UK's first prototype fusion plant bid

Leaders and businesses from across the South West have announced their support for the bid to bring the UK’s first prototype fusion plant to the Severn Estuary.

The site is in the final five sites currently being considered by the government for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s flagship STEP programme which is looking to prove the commercial viability of fusion energy.

Fusion has been described as having the potential to become the “ultimate low carbon energy” source, recreating the reaction that takes place within the sun.

The Western Gateway partnership, the economic powerhouse for South Wales and Western England, is leading a bid to bring STEP to the Severn Edge site on the Welsh border. If successful, the site has been estimated to provide more than 30,000 jobs for communities on both sides of the Severn and add £3.5bn to the economy.

Jeremy Wrathall, Founder & CEO of Cornish Lithium, Karl Tucker, Chair of Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and David Ralph, member of the Great South West (GSW) Steering Group, have all announced that they were “highly supportive of the site”.

David Ralph said: “Locating STEP at Severn Edge will be an important part of sustaining the legacy from Hinkley Point C. Ensuring that the supply chain and skilled work force can transition and transfer to this project will not only continue to support our local economy, but it will also serve to de-risk the STEP project and potentially shave significant time off the construction timescales, reutilise existing assets and create commensurate savings to the public purse.”

Jeremy Wrathall said: “We would like to express our support for the Severn Edge site as a home for the STEP fusion energy plant. Siting STEP at Severn Edge places it close to the UK’s primary sources of lithium.  Having a viable source of Lithium will make fusion energy more secure and increase the resilience of the UK energy system.”

Already the bid has received support from international UK wide industry, four of the most research intensive universities in the UK, the community, as well as political and business leaders.

The Spherical Tokamak Energy Production programme is being led by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The final decision is expected to be made by the business secretary by the end of the year.