Government-owned firm UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) has unveiled a strategy setting out how the country can move fusion energy from research to commercial deployment.

The strategy in particular sets out how the UK will deliver its first-of-a-kind prototype fusion power plant, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). The plant is currently under development at a site in north Nottinghamshire and is targeted to be operational by 2040.

UKFE, a subsidiary of the government’s UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), is overseeing the design, build and delivery of the plant, bringing together industrial partners, research expertise, and advanced digital and AI capabilities.

Lord Vallance of Balham, minister for science, innovation, research and nuclear, said: “The government completely backs the UK Fusion Energy vision set out in this document, to build on our national strengths to take fusion from the lab to the grid, delivering major benefits to the UK now and for generations to come”

Fusion is a potential source of almost limitless clean energy, seen as vital for energy security and the climate crisis. However, fusion is as difficult to realise in practice as it is hard to harness. However, it poses daunting engineering challenges in that fusion proves difficult to harness.

Researchers around the globe, including those at the STEP programme, are developing fusion reactors that effectively copy the process that powers the Sun – the collision of hydrogen atoms to release large amounts of energy. The STEP programme aims to demonstrate net energy, fuel self-sufficiency and a route to commercialisation. 

Paul Methven, CEO of UK Fusion Energy, said: “Fusion is a transformative opportunity, and the UK is exceptionally well placed to seize it. Our strategy sets out how we will deliver STEP Fusion in partnership with industry and use it as the launchpad for a globally competitive commercial fusion sector. The rewards for the UK in jobs, innovation and long-term energy security are immense.”

On its path to fusion commercialisation, UKFE has also announced two new contracts – a £70m one with Tokamak Energy as its first engineering systems partner for next‑generation magnet technologies, and a £30m one with Dassault Systèmes to expand STEP’s product life-cycle management capability using the firm’s software platform.

Also published today is UKAEA’s 2026–2030 organisational strategy for the UK’s national fusion laboratory, which sets out its priorities for advancing fusion research and supporting the delivery of projects such as STEP.

Dr Nick Wayth FEI, chief executive of the Energy Institute, said: “UKAEA’s new strategy sets out a clear and credible vision for delivering sustainable fusion energy. By combining world‑leading research with the delivery of the STEP prototype power plant, stronger international collaboration, and a focus on skills and industrial capability, it shows how fusion could strengthen the UK’s energy system. The strategy demonstrates how investment in innovation could deliver long‑term economic growth, energy security and opportunity for UK plc.”

In October 2025, Greentech firm Gauss Fusion unveiled a detailed conceptual blueprint for developing Europe’s first fusion power plant.