FIA Responds to UK Consultation on National Policy Statement for Fusion Energy
As developers move closer to commercial fusion it is increasingly necessary to consider the wide array of enablers required to bring fusion power to the grid. The UK government’s consultation on proposed National Policy Statement EN8, ‘Fusion Energy’ is an important step forward for fusion development in the country. Not only will the policy help ensure a smooth and transparent assessment of future project proposals, it also signals – to developers, investors and consumers – that the UK government is today adopting measures to see fusion energy facilities come online.
This is a vital piece of the project landscape for fusion developers looking to deliver commercial plants in coming years. The Fusion Industry Association was delighted to respond to the consultation, broadly welcoming the step and agreeing with proposals – and offering minor points for consideration as the government progresses to next stages.
You can read the full FIA consultation response below.
Background:
Planning permission is a priority for any infrastructure project. A stable and dependable planning framework is vital to develop investable and deliverable fusion energy projects. In 2008, the UK Government’s Planning Act created the ‘Development Consent Order’ (DCO) regime for ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects’ (NSIPs) – including ‘National Policy Statements’ (NPS) as a major component. This created a framework to ensure that the needs-case for certain types of project could be made upfront, and the site characteristics suitable for that infrastructure could be strategically considered. The outcomes are that: a) individual planning applications can focus on genuine matters of project-specific and local impact, and b) that project developers have a clear guideline on what they should look for in selecting a site. In a decade and a half of operations, the regime has developed and matured, and the UK government is looking at additional NPS – NPS EN8.