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Could world’s first fusion power station be built in Gloucestershire?

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Gloucestershire County Council’s cabinet will be asked to agree support for a partnership bid for site nominations, that if successful will aim to build the world’s first prototype fusion power reactor by 2040.

Fusion technology uses the same principles that power the sun, fusing hydrogen isotopes to make helium and abundant, safe, carbon neutral energy. The programme could create thousands of highly skilled jobs, attract billions of investment and offer many other economic benefits.

The sites being considered as part of this bid are Oldbury-on- Severn and Berkeley and will be backed by a range of partners from the Western Gateway, Nuclear South West, South Gloucestershire Council, Stroud District Council and many other partners.  

If supported, the initial bid will be submitted to central government at the end of March 2021 which will start the first part of the process in identifying the national home of this ground breaking technology.

Cllr. Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council said “We will be asking cabinet for formal support to work with Western Gateway, Nuclear South West and a range of partners to put forward an Oldbury and Berkeley submission to the UKAEA call for a STEP* fusion prototype power station and a research and development site. It is obviously very early in the process and a nomination has not yet been submitted. That said, we believe this could present a real opportunity for the region to lead the way on safe, clean, low carbon energy as well as proving far reaching economic benefits.”

Read the full cabinet report.