WEST BURTON – A global fusion hub
The fusion industry that we are now growing will be rooted in West Burton, a former coal-fired power station by the River Trent.
The benefits of a world-leading fusion industry will be felt right throughout the UK, building on our existing national strengths and delivering many local benefits to the surrounding communities.
West Burton is already at the heart of a ‘Supercluster’ of former coal-fired power stations, now the home of leading clean energy programmes. We are now catalysing and attracting high-tech industries and investment into the region, bringing in businesses and creating a knowledge hub for advanced technology.
Measuring the impact of STEP Fusion
How we demonstrate the benefits and impact of our programme both across the UK and the wider region around West Burton
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Helping grow a thriving UK fusion industry and creating opportunities for businesses across the country.
Creating opportunities for local businesses to win work, grow their capabilities and become part of a developing high-technology industry.
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Expanding the UK’s understanding of fusion energy through world-leading research and innovation.
Raising the area’s profile as a centre for scientific discovery and helping inspire future generations to pursue careers in science and engineering.
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Ensuring technologies developed through fusion research deliver wider benefits to society and the economy.
Creating long-term value for local communities through innovation, partnerships, investment and opportunities beyond the project itself.
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Creating highly skilled careers that support the UK’s future energy and technology sectors.
Increasing access to high-quality jobs, helping retain talent locally and providing new career opportunities for residents.
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Building the skills and expertise needed to support a future fusion energy industry.
Supporting education, training and skills development opportunities for local schools, colleges, workers and businesses.
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Supporting long-term economic growth and investment across the UK.
Helping attract new investment, supporting local businesses and contributing to a stronger local economy.
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Strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in fusion energy development.
Establishing West Burton as a recognised centre for future energy innovation and attracting interest from organisations across the UK and internationally.
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Developing the knowledge and capabilities needed to deliver future fusion facilities safely and effectively.
Supporting the transformation of the former power station site into a modern location for innovation, research and future energy development.
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Increasing awareness and understanding of fusion energy and its potential benefits.
Helping local people understand the project, engage with its progress and learn more about the role fusion could play in future energy systems.
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Moving fusion technologies closer to practical deployment as a future energy source.
Showcasing how innovation at West Burton is helping progress technologies that could contribute to future clean energy solutions.
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Addressing key scientific and engineering challenges needed to make fusion energy possible.
Helping build confidence that the technologies required for future fusion energy can be developed safely, responsibly and effectively.
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Supporting the development of effective regulations for future fusion energy projects in the UK.
Helping ensure future fusion developments are guided by robust standards that protect communities, the environment and public interests.
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AT THE HEART OF what we do
The communities around West Burton power station have a proud industrial heritage, having helped power the UK for generations from the heart of the Trent Valley.
Many local families have worked at the site across multiple generations, creating a strong sense of identity and pride in its contribution to the nation.
Today, that legacy is evolving. Local businesses are already supporting STEP Fusion, providing everything from signage and branded clothing to event management, construction support and professional services. As the programme grows, so too will the opportunities for companies of every size and sector.
STEP Fusion is committed to ensuring local communities share in the opportunities created, helping to build skills, support businesses and create long-term economic growth across the region.
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The impact STEP Fusion is already having around West Burton and further afield
As we transform West Burton from a former coal-fired power station into the home of the UK’s prototype fusion power plant, we’re also protecting the site’s remarkable heritage.
We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Historic England, establishing a shared commitment to ensure the site’s rich history is recognised and celebrated alongside its future as a world-first fusion energy facility.
From its role in powering the nation as part of the Trent Valley’s “Megawatt Valley” to its next chapter at the forefront of fusion energy, West Burton has played an important part in Britain’s energy story for generations.
The partnership will help guide the site’s development while protecting important heritage assets, including the nearby medieval village and chapel, a Scheduled Monument. Together, we’re demonstrating that innovation and conservation can go hand in hand, respecting the past while building the future.
We’re already working with businesses across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, with local companies supplying everything from signage, PPE and branded clothing to maintenance services and event support as STEP Fusion continues to grow at West Burton.
Supporting local businesses is an important part of how we deliver the programme. As we develop the UK’s prototype fusion power plant, we’re committed to creating opportunities for companies of all sizes, helping to strengthen local supply chains and build long-term economic value across the region.
It’s been fantastic to see so many local businesses becoming part of the STEP Fusion story. One of our favourite examples is a Gainsborough signage company that helped “dress” our robot dogs, Tok and Mak. While they may attract plenty of attention at community events, school visits and exhibitions, they also play an important role in sparking conversations about fusion energy, STEM careers and the opportunities STEP Fusion is creating for local people and businesses.
From attending major regional events such as the Lincolnshire Show with West Lindsey District Council, to our continued collaboration with Bassetlaw District Council through The Bridge Skills Hub and the Fusion Energy Café, we’re working with local authorities across the region to raise awareness of the opportunities STEP Fusion is creating.
Those opportunities span every stage of the programme, from construction and manufacturing through to engineering, digital, commercial and plasma physics. Local authorities, county councils and combined authorities all have an important role to play in ensuring local people and businesses are well placed to benefit.
Located at the heart of the Trent Supercluster, STEP Fusion will help catalyse regional growth by creating high-value jobs, strengthening supply chains, supporting skills development and attracting investment. Working with our regional partners, we’re helping ensure those opportunities are understood, accessible and deliver lasting benefits across the area.
Supporting local skills is central to our mission. We’re working with partners including the Universities of Lincoln, Nottingham, Sheffield and York, alongside The Bridge Skills Hub and schools across the region, to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, technicians and skilled tradespeople who will help deliver STEP Fusion.
Our engagement starts early, visiting primary schools to introduce children to fusion energy and the wide range of careers it will create. Many of today’s pupils will be old enough to help operate the UK’s prototype fusion power plant in the future, while others could play a vital role in its construction, manufacturing, maintenance and wider supply chain.
Working alongside our construction partner, universities, colleges and regional education providers, we’re helping to develop the skills pipeline needed to deliver STEP Fusion while creating long-term opportunities for local people. By investing in education, apprenticeships and career pathways today, we’re helping ensure communities across the region are equipped to benefit from the jobs and industries of tomorrow.
Located at the heart of the Trent Supercluster, STEP Fusion is part of a growing cluster of nationally significant programmes that are transforming the region into a centre for clean energy, advanced manufacturing, research and skills.
Alongside the UK’s prototype fusion power plant at West Burton, neighbouring former power station sites are being redeveloped for low-carbon hydrogen production at High Marnham and an AI-ready data centre at Cottam. The region is also home to nationally important initiatives such as the Newark Air & Space Institute, helping to develop the skilled workforce needed for the industries of tomorrow.
Together, these investments are helping to catalyse regional growth by attracting new businesses, strengthening supply chains, developing future skills and creating high-value jobs. By bringing together industry, academia, local authorities and government, the Trent Supercluster is creating the conditions for innovation and investment to flourish.
STEP Fusion is proud to play a central role in this transformation, ensuring the opportunities created by fusion extend far beyond a single programme and contribute to lasting economic prosperity across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire.
Fusion Energy is a national endeavour
Fusion energy is a tough problem, but solving tough problems develops new capabilities, products and services that can grow new revenue streams and new businesses.
That is already happening. A key part of UK Fusion Energy’s role as the whole plant integrator is to bring together the right industrial team to deliver fusion, and to support its growth and sustainability.
Our industrial partners are and will be highly diverse, from large to small, from well-established names to new start-ups, from those with a laser focus on fusion to those reaching into a range of sectors.
UK Fusion Energy’s approach to integrated delivery draws on global success stories from industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy and defence. The announcement of Tokamak Energy as our Magnets Partner is one such success story.
We will publish a growing pipeline of commercial opportunities and would like to hear from companies now that have capabilities and innovations that could make a difference.
MORE ABOUT OUR PARTNERSNational Case Studies
The impact STEP Fusion is already having across the UK and beyond
Our recent ‘Meet the Buyer’ event brought hundreds of national and international businesses to Worksop, alongside local and regional suppliers, to explore opportunities to help deliver the UK’s prototype fusion power plant.
Suppliers from engineering, manufacturing, construction, logistics and professional services met with delivery partners and programme teams to discuss future requirements, procurement activity and the role they can play in delivering one of the UK’s most ambitious engineering programmes.
The event demonstrated both the strength of UK industry and the international interest in STEP Fusion. Building a successful fusion energy programme depends on collaboration across multiple sectors. These conversations are helping us identify capability, build relationships and strengthen the supply chains that will underpin delivery of STEP Fusion.
STEP Fusion is helping to drive the Midlands’ next chapter of industrial growth. From Birmingham to Nottingham and Lincoln, we’ve been bringing together businesses to talk about West Burton and fusion energy.
Through the Trent Supercluster, we’re working alongside partners across the region to connect major energy and infrastructure projects with future opportunities for businesses, investors and skills providers.
Bringing together organisations from engineering, manufacturing, construction, AI, hydrogen and the wider energy sector helps build the partnerships needed to attract investment, strengthen regional supply chains and create long-term opportunities for people and businesses across the Midlands.
Fusion has long been one of the world’s most promising clean energy opportunities. In April 2026 at Fusion Fest in London, we announced that our focus is shifting from scientific ambition to industrial delivery.
We announced Tokamak Energy as our Magnet Systems partner and Dassault Systemes as our Digital design partner, marking a huge moment as UK Fusion Energy Ltd. begins its role as the whole plant integrator.
As the integrator, our ambition is the bring together government, investors, supply chains and world-class engineering to integrate the technologies, systems and partnerships needed to deliver fusion power plants.
The goal extends beyond a single prototype. It’s about building industrial capability, attracting long-term investment and creating a pathway to future commercial fusion power plants.
Fusion has the potential to become one of the defining industries of this century. Through STEP Fusion, we’re laying the foundations for the technologies, supply chains and expertise that will help make that future possible.
(Photo, Tokamak Energy)
