Bassetlaw site back in the running to host ‘world’s first’ fusion power station

West Burton A Power Station site in Bassetlaw has been brought off a reserve list to make it into the final five sites in the running to host what is hoped to be the world’s first commercial fusion power station.

The ambitious project - Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production - known as STEP, is being led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

Today (January 21), government announced that West Burton A, near Retford, will now replace Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on UKAEA’s shortlist of potential sites to host STEP.

Councillor Simon Greaves, leader of Bassetlaw District Council, said: “I am delighted that the UKAEA have added West Burton A to the STEP shortlist, this is a site with an enormous amount of potential.

“Securing the future of energy production in Bassetlaw and the jobs and investment that comes with that would be a huge step in driving forward the local economy.

“We will continue to work with the nominating partnership including Nottinghamshire County Council and D2N2 in support of the West Burton site.”

The site has played a key role in UK energy production for over half a century, making a significant contribution to both the national and local economy.

Nottinghamshire County Council leader Ben Bradley MP said: “While we would have loved to have two local sites on the shortlist, the future of the Ratcliffe- on-Soar site as a whole is still looking very bright.

“So all-in-all this is still a positive result for Nottinghamshire having West Burton A now included in the final five.

“We have a proud heritage of producing energy – especially in the north of the county - which helped power ` the industrial revolution, but looking to the future, we want to be at the heart of the UK green energy revolution.

“As global energy demand continues to grow, this technology is expected to play a crucial role in helping to achieve net zero emissions - in a safe and sustainable way.”

There will be a chance for residents to find out more about the process via an online community engagement event which is due to be held by UKAEA next month.

For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/step-siting-process-update