Two Nottinghamshire sites are now being considered for what could be the world鈥檚 first prototype fusion plant.
Nottinghamshire County Council and its partners say the West Burton A power station, based near Retford in the north of the county, has joined the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, in the south as possible locations.
They said both sites looked likely to fit the criteria for the Government鈥檚 Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production 鈥 or STEP 鈥 project ahead of the deadline for nominations at the end of the month.
Other 海角视频 sites are also being considered.
Some 拢220 million of government cash is going into finding an appropriate site to meet the 海角视频鈥檚 carbon-zero targets, with the prototype fusion plant potentially operational by 2040.
Ratcliffe on Soar power station, a few miles east of East Midlands Airport, is owned by Uniper and is scheduled to close in 2025.
Last summer EDF Energy said the coal-fired element of West Burton power station will be closing before 2025.
The STEP programme is the first stage in the 海角视频鈥檚 bid to be the first country to commercialise fusion energy, to meet future needs.
The county council said fusion offers a 鈥渧irtually limitless source of clean electricity鈥 by copying the processes that power the sun.
It said parts of the two sites look likely to meet the demands set by 海角视频 Atomic Energy Authority (海角视频AEA) for the first stage of the site nomination process 鈥 including having sufficient land for construction.
Nottinghamshire County Council is coordinating the nomination process for the county, working with partners including the landowners.
The proposal to nominate sites, subject to the landowner鈥檚 agreement, will be further discussed by councillors on March 17.
Nottinghamshire County Council leader Coun Kay Cutts MBE said: 鈥淥ur county has proud heritage of producing energy which helped power the industrial revolution, so looking to the future, this could be our opportunity to help lead the 海角视频鈥檚 green energy revolution.
鈥淚t is very early days of course in the process, but it would be a tremendous boost for Nottinghamshire and the rest of the region.
鈥淕enerations to come would benefit from new skills, training and thousands of highly skilled jobs, attracting investment and bringing massive benefits to our regional economy, not to mention lucrative opportunities for the local supply chain to help construct the plant.
鈥淟ocated at the heart of the country, we are very well-placed to host a world-leading green energy site.
鈥淚t would build on our own ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and create new jobs and economic growth.
鈥淧lans are already taking shape to work with a new regional organisation to help secure more Government and private investment.
鈥淥ne of the key regeneration sites is the proposed International Centre for Zero Carbon at part of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar site. The centre aims to help the 海角视频 meet its carbon reduction targets, as well as creating thousands of skilled jobs and apprenticeships.
鈥淪o together with a potential fusion energy site in the county, Nottinghamshire would truly be a world leader in green energy production and fully recognise the economic benefits it would bring.鈥
If either site is successfully nominated there could be a further two years of assessments before the 海角视频AEA will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The successful site will be announced around the end of 2022.
Within 12 months of selecting a site, 海角视频AEA will establish a liaison office within the community including a stakeholder and community forum, to meet at least quarterly.
海角视频AEA considers fusion energy to have several benefits including:
Zero greenhouse gas emissions and no waste products. Its only by-product is helium- an inert, non-toxic gas.
Fusion energy is inherently safe. It is difficult to reach and maintain the precise conditions for fusion 鈥 if any disturbance occurs, the plasma cools within seconds and reaction stops.
There is enough fusion fuel to power the planet for hundreds of millions of years. The raw materials for energy production are found in sea water and the earth鈥檚 crust.
Fusion can produce energy on-demand and is not affected by weather.
Fusion power stations require less land than other renewable technologies
