Firms appointed to build fusion power plant
BBCA consortium of construction companies has been appointed to build a fusion power plant in north Nottinghamshire.
The prototype is due to be built on the site of the former West Burton A coal-fired power station near Retford, which closed in 2023 and is being demolished.
The ILIOS consortium, led by construction firms Kier and Nuvia, was announced on Monday as the successful bidder to develop the site, with the contract worth £200m.
Simon Matthews, programme director for ILIOS, said: "This is a significant milestone in the UK's transition to clean energy."
"Through our involvement on the STEP [Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production] programme, we will help advance the UK's future energy resilience and decarbonisation ambitions, supporting economic and regional growth, high-quality jobs and the development of a long-term, UK-based, fusion supply chain," Matthews said.
The consortium also consists of A_AL architects, Aecom, and Turner and Townsend.
UKIFSFusion power potentially offers almost limitless, clean energy from a process similar to that which powers the Sun, but significant challenges remain in making it commercially viable.
Successive governments have pledged billions of pounds of investment in the sector, and West Burton was chosen as the location for the project in October 2022.
Alongside the consortium's appointment, the government has announced a new Fusion Strategy to attract private investment and build a "home-grown fusion energy industry".
Minister for science, innovation, research and nuclear, Lord Patrick Vallance said: "We can be proud that Britain will lead the way on research, innovation and skills for a future of limitless fusion energy.
"By backing our fusion industry, we are not only securing our future energy independence, but from innovation and research to engineers, we are also providing the skilled clean energy jobs of the future for British people."
Paul Methven, chief executive officer of UK Fusion Energy, said: "This is the moment we move from research to delivery - setting a clear path to build the UK's prototype fusion plant at West Burton.
"It also means that we're beginning a journey to substantial employment around West Burton, and building up the world-class industry we need to deliver a new generation of clean energy power stations."
East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward said: "This is a milestone moment for STEP Fusion and for the East Midlands.
"[The] government's strategy builds real commercial momentum for fusion energy, while the announcement of a construction partner means that jobs and opportunities for communities and businesses across the region are now in sight."
The fusion programme and redevelopment project are expected to create up to 10,000 jobs in the UK by 2030.
The aim is for the facility to begin operations in the 2040s.
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