Government handed letter backing South Gloucestershire Fusion Plant
A major campaign is calling for the world's first nuclear fusion plant to be built in the west country, but a local politician has expressed caution
The West of England Mayor has expressed caution over plans for the world's first nuclear fusion power plant in South Gloucestershire.
A letter backing the idea for a so called Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) Fusion Plant at sites in Oldbury and Berkeley, signed by academics, business leaders and politicians across the West Country, was handed into government on Wednesday (June 15).
However, Dan Norris, who leads the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), has told us he would rather see a hydroelectric plant built harnessing the power of the Severn Estuary.
Several locations across the UK are bidding to become home to the world's first prototype fusion plant, which would use the same reaction that powers the sun to create green energy.
Whilst it sounds futuristic, experts in the field say the technology is being developed and such a plant will be possible in the near future.
Tom Scott is a professor of nuclear materials at the University of Bristol.
"Absolutely, I do believe that and I can say it with some authority," professor Scott said.
"I've been working closely with the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the guys and girls who are championing fusion in the UK, and with the STEP project in fact, within the next 12 months they will submit an outline design for the power station.
"This technology is not a case that it's still on the horizon, this is technology that we're now at the stage where we're actually designing power stations.
"We know the technology that we need to build, it's a case of deciding exactly what configuration, deciding where we're going to built it and then just getting on with building it."
A campaign to bring the world's first fusion plant to our region was first announced by a group called the Western Gateway earlier this year.
The group brings together business leaders and politicians from across the west country and South Wales in a bid to bring major investment into the region.
The group says the Severn Edge bid for a fusion plant would support "over 30,000 jobs" and create an extra £3.5 billion of output for the economy.
Siobhan Baillie, MP for Stroud which includes part of the Severn Edge site, said: “We know that the Severn Edge site is the best possible option for the UK’s STEP Programme, providing access to the necessary expert supply chains that feed into Hinkley C and an operational, purpose-built Skills and Science Park ready to provide the engineering apprentices of tomorrow.
"We have an opportunity to be a world leading science superpower with fusion and our site will ensure immediate delivery to make this possible."
Ms Baillie claims local communities are also in favour of the idea.
“Local communities, business and MPs on both sides of the Severn have signed up to show their support to our bid which would provide transformational opportunities for the next generation," she said.
"Stroud constituency school children would grow up knowing they can work on planet saving technology. Severn Edge is the right home for STEP and we hope that Ministers will back our bid.”
After gathering outside the Houses of Commons on Wednesday, the group marched to the offices of the Business Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, who is responsible for making the decision, to deliver a collective letter of support for the Western Gateway’s Severn Edge bid.
Katherine Bennett OBE, Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, said: “Our Severn Edge site provides the best access to top expertise to ensure STEP makes the UK a world leader in developing Fusion whilst also being a vital flagship opportunity for local communities.
"The site is within a short commute of many high priority levelling up areas on both sides of the Severn which could be transformed by the success of our bid.
“Our Western Gateway Partnership is working to level up communities on both sides of the border, create a further £34 billion for the economy and develop the UK’s first green energy super cluster.
"We are ready to use the great expertise we have in both England and Wales to power our transition to net zero and STEP is the perfect launch pad.”
Speaking to us in Bristol though, WECA Mayor Norris was much less optimistic about the idea.
"Nuclear is not my first choice I have to be honest," he said.
"I remember when previous nuclear power stations were built, this is fusion it's a different system, but, they always talk up the benefits and there's huge prices and costs associated with these things, and they don't necessarily deliver in the way that we think."
Mr Norris agreed that the idea of a fusion plant should be explored, but suggested he would prefer a different kind of plant.
"We have got this amazing advantage in our region, a global advantage actually that we have the second highest tidal range anywhere in the planet.
"High tide happens twice a day, reliably, we know that's going to happen and we've got to somehow harness that energy that's there for the taking if we just know how to do it properly and well.
"I think that's the more exciting thing."