UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, has announced a record £2.5 billion in additional funding this week to advance the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.
The prototype facility, known as STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production), will be constructed on the site of the former West Burton A coal power station, located near Retford and Gainsborough. Selected by the government in 2022, the site is set to host a transformative project expected to create over 10,000 jobs, spanning construction, engineering, and plant operations.
The announcement underscores the UK government’s strong commitment to becoming a global leader in clean energy, leveraging innovation in a region long associated with traditional power generation.
A pioneering scientific initiative, STEP will use fusion technology by combining hydrogen isotopes—deuterium and tritium—and heating them to temperatures exceeding 150 million degrees Celsius. These gases are confined within a powerful magnetic field to initiate fusion. The resulting energy produces steam to drive a turbine, generating electricity in a process similar to that of conventional power plants.
Paul Methven CB, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions—the organization leading the delivery of the STEP prototype fusion energy power plant—welcomed the funding boost, stating: “The UK is currently at the forefront of global fusion energy research, and STEP is the flagship programme designed to move fusion from the lab to commercial reality. It will generate high-quality jobs, create valuable spin-off technologies, and deliver significant economic benefits—both nationally and for the East Midlands, where the first plant will be built."
"Securing a global leadership position in such a critical emerging technology demands bold action. The government has shown that boldness today, and we’re excited to move forward with the practical steps that will turn this ambitious vision into reality, placing the UK at the heart of this transformative new sector,” -- he added.
The end of coal power in Nottinghamshire was marked by the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in late 2024. With the creation of STEP in West Burton, Nottinghamshire’s “Megawatt Valley” will continue to be at the heart of the UK’s energy production - whilst leading the world in creating the green, sustainable energy of the future.
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