STEP Fusion celebrates community engagement and announces timeline for development consent at West Burton site

The event, at the Fusion Energy Café and The Bridge Skills Hub in Worksop, coincided with the café’s first birthday, celebrating its role as a hub for learning and engagement around fusion energy.

The afternoon brought together local stakeholders, community members, and the STEP Board for an open exhibition, presentations, and informal discussions about the programme’s plans for West Burton.

Visitors explored interactive displays, met members of the STEP team, and learned more about how fusion energy could transform the UK’s energy future.

Highlights included Q&A sessions, outreach activities such as robotic demonstrations from our much loved four-legged friends Tok and Mak, and of course, birthday cake.

The Fusion Energy Café was launched in 2024, funded by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and is part of STEP’s commitment to transparent engagement and education ahead of the formal planning process for the West Burton site.

It provides a welcoming space for the public to discover what fusion is, why it matters, and how the STEP programme is progressing.

Paul Methven, CEO of STEP Fusion, said: “The Fusion Energy Café has become a focal point for conversation and curiosity about fusion. Today’s event was about celebrating that success and continuing to build trust and understanding with the local community.

“STEP Fusion is not just about technology, it’s about people, and we’re proud to share this journey with Bassetlaw and beyond.”

This was the final community event for 2025 and very much part of STEP Fusion’s ongoing commitment to openness and dialogue. It was also an opportunity to formally announce the Development Consent Order (DCO) process which will begin in January 2026.

A DCO is a single, streamlined planning consent for large infrastructure projects such as STEP Fusion. It combines permissions and grants powers to construct and operate the project lawfully.

For STEP Fusion, the DCO will cover the prototype power plant and associated infrastructure developments across road, rail and river networks.

Non-statutory (informal) consultation will start in the local community in January and run for eight weeks. The process involves a series of exhibitions across the area, including Sturton-le-Steeple, North and South Wheatley, Bawtry, Lea, South Leverton Misterton, Sturton by Stow, Gringley on the Hill, Clarborough and Retford areas.

Clean energy consultancy Opergy Limited has also been appointed by Bassetlaw District Council to lead the development of a business case for new skills development opportunities that will support the STEP Fusion programme.

Funded by East Midlands Combined County Authority, Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS), the commission marks a key milestone in establishing the East Midlands as a centre of excellence for fusion and clean energy skills.

The project will focus on assessing future skills demand from the STEP Fusion programme and other planned developments in the region. STEP Fusion is a nationally significant infrastructure project led by UKIFS to build a prototype fusion powerplant that will demonstrate net energy, fuel self-sufficiency, and a viable route to commercial fusion.

The commission will map current capacity with the needs of STEP Fusion and build the business case for investing in the training and education needed to close the gap. The goal is to make sure people in the areas surrounding West Burton can access the high-quality jobs created by STEP Fusion and other clean energy and advanced technology projects coming to the region.

The STEP Fusion programme is expected to create 8,500 highly skilled, full-time jobs across the supply chain meaning it is vital for Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire to be poised to take advantage of this emerging industry.

This work follows launch of the STEP Fusion Skills Collaborative, a partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, East Midlands Combined County Authority, South Yorkshire Combined Authority, Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, regional authorities, and training providers. The Collaborative is part of a 20-year vision to grow fusion energy skills, research, and supply chain capability in the region.

The STEP Fusion Skills Collaborative business case development project represents one of the first tangible steps in delivering that ambition, translating strategic intent into coordinated action and real opportunities for people, businesses, and education providers across the East Midlands. The outcomes from the project are expected in Spring 2026.

Coun Charles Adams, cabinet member for Business and Skills at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “This work represents a crucial next step in the collective ambition to make our region a national hub for fusion energy skills.

“The appointment of Opergy will help us bring together the right partners and evidence to build the case for vital future investment.

“One of our key priorities at the start of this project was to ensure that local people and businesses benefit from new training and employment opportunities linked to STEP Fusion, and this is the beginning of this journey.”

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “Fusion has the potential to transform our region — not just in how we generate power, but in how we create skilled, long-term jobs that people in our region can access.

“The STEP Fusion Skills Collaborative is taking a forward-thinking approach by developing the partnerships and programmes now that will make sure the East Midlands is ready to lead the clean-energy revolution.”

Debbie Kempton, director of Engineering Programme at STEP Fusion, said: “STEP Fusion is not just a technological challenge - it’s a national endeavour that depends on people, skills, and collaboration.

“This work by the STEP Fusion Skills Collaborative and Opergy is so important to ensure that the surrounding regions have the capability and partnerships to deliver something revolutionary. “By investing in skills now, we can create opportunities for local communities and secure the workforce needed to realise the promise of fusion energy.”

Johnathan Reynolds, project director and managing director of Opergy Group, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the STEP Fusion Skills Collaborative to take this next step for West Burton.

“Our role is to help create the evidence base, partnerships, and business case that will attract future investment — while supporting immediate skills delivery aligned to fusion and major infrastructure projects.

“We’ve assembled a specialist team with deep expertise drawn from national programmes such as Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, Destination Nuclear, and the UK’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan. This includes our recent success in delivering the Skills Mapping Pilot for the North West, which has just secured £900,000 of Government investment.

“Together, we bring the insight and credibility to design a skills ecosystem that connects people, training providers, and employers across the Midlands to the opportunities of the fusion era.”

And STEP Fusion and Historic England have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together to celebrate and protect the historic character of the West Burton site. The agreement was signed on November 27, by Claudia Kenyatta, Co-CEO of Historic England, and Paul Methven, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Limited and Responsible Officer for STEP Fusion.

It sets out a shared ambition to ensure that the transformation of the site remains sensitive to the heritage and natural environment of the area. West Burton is deeply rooted in the UK’s energy story. It powered the nation and was part of the famous Megawatt Valley, with a high concentration of power generating facilities along the River Trent.

In years to come the site will be home to a clean energy revolution – the site of the first of its kind fusion power plant.

The MoU reflects commitment to responsible stewardship of historic areas and cultural legacy, including areas of special interest in the site, such as the site of the former medieval village and chapel, close to the power station, which is protected as a Scheduled Monument.

Paul Methven, CEO of STEP Fusion, said: “The STEP Fusion endeavour is bold and considered. We are committed to working with partners such as Historic England to ensure that the story of West Burton continues and that the past is respected and protected.

“We believe that innovation and conservation can work hand in hand on our site.”

Claudia Kenyatta, co-CEO of Historic England, said: “We’re delighted to be working with STEP Fusion to help shape a future for West Burton and support our shared heritage whilst moving forward to an exciting new era for the site.

“This MoU demonstrates our shared commitment to the distinctive historic environment and the long history of energy production in North Nottinghamshire.”

The MoU will guide ongoing collaboration between STEP Fusion and Historic England including considerations at the early planning stages as the programme progresses towards construction in 2030.