The government has promised to consult by March 2026 on bringing fusion into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project planning regime, claiming the UK will be the first country in the world to develop fusion-specific planning rules.
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. 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. This will give industry certainty, break down regulatory barriers and get projects built quicker.
The government said the decision would put fusion energy projects on the same footing as technologies such as solar, onshore wind and nuclear, which would unlock benefits for places such as Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire, “where the fusion industry is already supporting thousands of jobs”. It added, “A thriving fusion industry in the UK will support the growth of other technologies, including superconductors, robotics and advanced materials, which in turn will provide highly-skilled jobs for British scientists, engineers and construction workers as part of the Plan for Change”.
The Spending Review commitment to invest over £2.5 billion in fusion research and development includes the STEP programme (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) which aims to develop and build a fusion power plant by 2040 in Nottinghamshire.