UKIFS announces £2.5bn funding commitment for world’s first prototype fusion power plant
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) has announced an additional £2.5bn in funding for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme, aimed at developing the world’s first prototype fusion power plant. The facility will be constructed at the site of the former West Burton A coal-fired power station near Retford and Gainsborough, and is expected to be operational by 2040. STEP operates by fusing the hydrogen gases—deuterium and tritium—which are heated to over 150 million ˚C and confined within a magnetic field. The resulting energy will be used to produce steam, which will turn a turbine to generate electricity.