Name of the Project
Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP).

Location
West Burton, England, in the UK.

Project Owner/s
UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

Project Description
The STEP is the UK’s ambitious programme to design and build a prototype fusion plant to demonstrate the commercial viability of fusion.

Most fusion reactors are built in the shape of a ring doughnut, while the spherical plant is shaped more like a cored apple. This shape improves efficiency in the magnetic field and potentially reduces the plant’s cost. 

The plant is expected to be smaller than other current fusion programmes under development, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

The project will be developed in phases.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to support thousands of new highly skilled jobs.

Capital Expenditure
£222-million has been allocated to begin the STEP design work.

Planned Start/End Date
Operations are targeted to start in about 2040. The aim is to have a fully evolved design, and approval to build by 2032, consequently allowing for construction to start.

Latest Developments
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS), soon to be renamed UK Fusion Energy, has appointed the ILIOS consortium as construction partner for the STEP programme. The appointment covers the first three-year, £200-million tranche of work on the prototype fusion plant.

The consortium, led by Kier and Nuvia and supported by AECOM, architects AL_A and Turner & Townsend, will be responsible for the design and construction of the site buildings, infrastructure and facilities, as well as constructability, interface management, programme planning, project controls and supply chain management.

The award forms part of a wider programme with future opportunities valued at up to  £10-billion. In addition, the UK government's Fusion Energy Strategy provides for more than  £2.5-billion of investment in fusion over five years, including £1.3-billion for the next phase of STEP through UK Fusion Energy.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
ILIOS consortium, led by Kier and Nuvia with AECOM, architects AL_A and Turner & Townsend (construction partner); Cerberus Nuclear and Assystem (reactor in-board shield design); Atkins and Assystem, including Oxford Sigma and Kyoto Fusioneering (engineering delivery partner and specialist support).

Contact Details for Project Information
UKAEA, tel +44 1235 528822 or email mediaenquiry@ukaea.uk