Construction consultancy Gleeds has been appointed to provide critical services in the delivery of a prototype fusion energy plant in Nottinghamshire.
by Rory Butler / January 11, 2023
Gleeds was brought on by infrastructure consultancy Perfect Circle to deliver procurement, commercial and cost-management services to the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme – a UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) scheme.
The new plant will be located at the West Burton power station site, a former coal-fired facility in Nottinghamshire, potentially paving the way for future commercial fusion energy plants delivering net electricity to the grid.
Perfect Circle was appointed to the £10 billion programme for accelerating fusion delivery, by bringing in partners who will engineer and construct the prototype plant.
Gleeds was chosen alongside Aecom and Pick Everard. Atkins has been named as engineering partner.
The UK Government will provide £220 million for Phase One of STEP.
“Fusion will play a hugely important role within the UK clean energy transition as we seek clean, sustainable, low-cost energy sources to replace fossil fuels, and has the potential to generate almost limitless clean energy for future generations,” said Andy Ellis, global head of energy at Gleeds.
Victoria Brambini, managing director of Perfect Circle added: “The Government-backed STEP programme will bring the site of this former coal-fired power station back to life, creating thousands of jobs during construction and operation, and undoubtably attracting other high-tech industries to Nottinghamshire in the process.”
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