UK to ease planning rules for fusion projects
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Currently, fusion projects must submit an application to the local authority with no set timelines for approval and no guidance on which sites are appropriate – potentially hindering the technology's development in the UK.
The plans will see fusion introduced into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime, putting fusion energy projects on the same footing as other clean energy technologies such as solar, onshore wind and nuclear fission. It will help fusion energy projects move faster along the process from identifying sites to the start of construction.
"The introduction of a National Policy Statement will provide clarity to developers and streamline the planning process for fusion, giving applicants clearer guidance on where and how quickly projects can be developed," the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said. "This will give industry certainty, break down regulatory barriers and get projects built quicker to cement the UK's position at the forefront of the global race for fusion."
"The future of fusion energy starts now," said Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. "We are ensuring the clean energy of the future gets built in Britain, supporting the creation of highly skilled jobs and driving growth into our industrial heartlands as part of our Plan for Change."
UK Atomic Energy Authority CEO Tim Bestwick added: "The inclusion of fusion energy in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime is a clear indication of the government's support for fusion. Fusion promises to be a safe, sustainable part of the world's future energy supply and the UK has a huge opportunity to become a global hub of fusion and related technology.
"Fusion-specific planning rules will help provide certainty about investing in UK fusion developments, and strengthen the UK's position as a leader in the quest to commercialise fusion energy."
The government's Spending Review - released earlier this month - also delivered a commitment to invest more than GBP2.5 billion (USD3.4 billion) in fusion research and development. This includes progressing with the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme, which aims to develop and build a world-leading fusion power plant by 2040 at West Burton near Retford in Nottinghamshire. The demonstration plant is due to begin operating by 2040.
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