The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said that the plans could “revolutionise the energy system” and supply “virtually limitless energy” while supporting over 10,000 jobs and protecting against fossil fuel price shocks.
The Sunrise AI Supercomputer will accelerate fusion design, modelling and operations, while a consortium of construction companies has been appointed to build a world-leading fusion energy plant at a former coal plant in Nottinghamshire by 2040, with the contract worth £200m.
By fusing two forms of hydrogen at extreme temperatures, fusion energy can unleash vast amounts of clean, abundant homegrown power, with the potential to “transform Britain and the world”, the DESNZ said.
The strategy builds on £2.5bn of government investment in fusion research and development, and includes plans for the UK to be the first country to offer a market framework to attract and support private investment.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “From Nottinghamshire to Cumbria, and from the Oxford-Cambridge corridor to South Yorkshire, Britain has long been at the forefront of fusion energy.
“With our Fusion Strategy, we’re going further – backing industry, supporting over 10,000 jobs, and paving the way for the ultimate long-term energy security solution – clean, virtually limitless energy powered by British ingenuity and determination.”
The Sunrise AI Supercomputer will be developed by the University of Cambridge and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, with the future fusion market expected to be worth up to £12trn in the second half of this century.
Meanwhile, UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, which is set to be renamed UK Fusion Energy, has appointed the construction consortium ILIOS to build the STEP prototype fusion powerplant in West Burton.
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 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.”
An in-depth feature exploring fusion energy will appear in the next issue of Transform, published in April.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of ISEP’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for ISEP members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
