Written question asked by Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru) on Wednesday, 1 May 2024, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 May 2024. It was answered by Lord Callanan (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 May 2024 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Nuclear Fusion

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of progress being made towards the development of nuclear fusion, and by what date they estimate that electricity generated in this manner may be available to consumers.

Answer: The Government’s STEP Programme, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, will design, develop, and build by the 2040s a prototype fusion power plant capable of delivering energy to the UK grid. The Government has already committed over £240 million towards the first phase of STEP which will develop a concept design for the prototype plant. Hosted in West Burton, Nottinghamshire, STEP will play an important role in demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion energy and galvanise the UK fusion sector. Fusion Energy is anticipated to play a significant role in the UK’s energy production from the 2050’s and beyond.

Secondary information