The search is on to find the best possible site in Cumbria to host the UK’s first prototype nuclear fusion power plant.

In October 2019, the UK Government announced an initial £220 million of funding to produce a concept fusion reactor design known as the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) by 2024.

The selection process, led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), invites interested parties to bid to be the host location for the facility.

Now, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) is launching a Cumbrian siting competition to find the most suitable location to put forward as the county’s submission to the national selection process.

On Wednesday 16 December at 5pm, a virtual event will take place at which interested parties, including local authorities, landowners and supply chain businesses, can learn more about the process and its potential benefits

A representative of UKAEA will be presenting at the event and there will be opportunities to ask questions about the siting competition.

To secure a place at the event visit: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsfumurjkiGdQzOUkprfCs2z71AWUW0hm7

The Government’s deadline for submission of siting proposals is 31 March 2021, so CLEP has set a local deadline of Friday 8 January for potential host sites to come forward.

The UK STEP site will ultimately be selected by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy following a recommendation made by UKAEA.

This recommendation will be made following a rigorous validation and assessment process, based on a set of key criteria covering three main areas including technical and operational suitability.