Engineers and scientists across the South West can help the UK take a big ‘STEP’ towards fusion electricity.
The UK Government needs our best people to rally behind their commitment of £220M to the design of a fusion power station – the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, known as STEP.
In a bid to harness fusion energy’s huge potential, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and partners from industry and academia are uniting to complete the design by 2024.
It is a central part of its broad and extensive fusion research and technology programme with the ultimate aim of producing net electricity from fusion around 2040.
The investment will lead a conceptual design for the reactor (known as a ‘tokamak’) that will generate fusion energy and convert it into electricity.
The UKAEA are on the look-out for the engineers and scientists who have what it takes to turn their vision into a reality – rising to the challenge of delivering fusion to address climate change.
Professor Ian Chapman, the UKAEA’s Chief Executive, believes STEP will see the UK build on its “proud heritage of pioneering developments in fusion research” and demonstrate a commitment to translating “R&D leadership into a working fusion reactor.”
According to the, UKAEA, the STEP programme will create 300 jobs directly, with even more in the UK fusion supply chain.
And on top of that, the design work is expected to complement fusion powerplant design activities (such as Europe’s ‘DEMO’ prototype power station) and other hi-tech industries.
The Bristol University-based South West Nuclear Hub team are leading by example, by starting the regional campaign.
They have produced a comprehensive prospectus outlining the advantages offered by our area – a natural home for the UK’s next generation reactor programme, including fusion power plants.
The success of Hinkley Point C has prompted huge inward investment across the South West and now fusion gives the region the opportunity to strengthen its position at the centre of the world nuclear energy industry.
Further background information about the project is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-step-in-fusion.
The STEP Procurement Plan Schedule is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/step-procurment-opportunities.
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