STEP is the UK government's prototype spherical-tokamak fusion power plant, to be built on the former West Burton coal power station site. Delivered by UK Fusion Energy with industrial partners, it is backed by £1.3 billion of a £2.5 billion fusion package and targets first operations in the early 2040s.
New to fusion? Nuclear fusion, explained: three ways to bottle a star
Current state
| Status | Design |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Location | West Burton, Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire |
| Developer | UK Fusion Energy (UKAEA subsidiary) |
| Developer type | Public |
| Concept | Spherical tokamak |
| Fuel | D-T |
| Purpose | Pilot plant |
| Grid power target | 2040 |
| Site | West Burton (former EDF coal station) selected; non-statutory consultation Jan-Mar 2026; Development Consent Order to follow |
| Public funding | £1.3bn for STEP within £2.5bn UK fusion funding over five years (2025) |
| Regulation | UK regulates fusion via the Environment Agency and HSE rather than the nuclear site licensing regime; STEP needs a Development Consent Order. |
Notes
grid power target 2040 reflects STEP's stated 2040 operations goal ('early 2040s' first operations); STEP aims to demonstrate net electricity, target size often quoted ~100 MWe net but not confirmed in the sources reviewed (target output not recorded).
Timeline
- 2025 — The UK government announced £2.5 billion for fusion, including £1.3 billion for STEP. (source)
- 2026-01 — STEP opened its first public (non-statutory) consultation, running to March 2026. (source)
- 2026-03 — UK Fusion Energy selected the Kier/Nuvia ILIOS consortium as construction partner for a £200 million first phase. (source)
- 2026-04-14 — UK Fusion Energy awarded Tokamak Energy a £70 million Magnet Systems Partner contract. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
Related projects
- CTRFR-1 / Startorus No.1 (Startorus Fusion) Design · China
- JET (Joint European Torus) Shut down · United Kingdom
- Machine 4 (First Light Fusion) Cancelled · United Kingdom
- MAST Upgrade Operating · United Kingdom
- ST40 (Tokamak Energy) Operating · United Kingdom
- ST80-HTS (Tokamak Energy) Design · United Kingdom
See all 51 projects in the Fusion Energy Companies & Projects Tracker →
Sources
- STEP Fusion FAQs — UK Fusion Energy (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- Have your say at STEP Fusion's first public consultation — UK Fusion Energy (primary), checked 2026-10-11
- ILIOS consortium selected as construction partner for £200m STEP Fusion phase — Construction.co.uk, checked 2026-10-11
- Tokamak Energy named as Magnet Systems Partner for STEP Fusion programme — UK Fusion Energy (primary), checked 2026-10-11