UK Department for Energy and Net Zero Publishes Scoping Consultation for Fusion Facility Planning Process

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published a scoping consultation on a new National Policy Statement (NPS) for Fusion Energy which will guide the planning process for fusion facilities in the UK. Following the Energy Act 2023‘s confirmation that fusion facilities will be regulated separately from fission in the UK, the Fusion Energy NPS will provide further clarity on the fusion planning process for developers and communities – an important step in the development of the UK’s fusion sector.

The key policy proposals:

• Companies are aiming to develop commercial fusion facilities in the UK using a range of technologies. As set out in the UK’s Fusion Strategy, the UK takes a technology agnostic approach to supporting fusion in the UK and a Fusion NPS will encompass all fusion technologies.
• The Government proposes using an open-sited developer-led approach. This will put the developer at the forefront of site selection and empower developers to undertake site characterisation based on the criteria and considerations in the NPS and scrutinised by regulators (where applicable). These criteria encompass radiological safety and security, environmental protection, and operational requirements.
• The Government proposes including all fusion electricity-producing stations in England in the NSIP process. In the consultation on the new nuclear NPS17, the Government proposed amending the Planning Act 2008 to include all nuclear electricity-producing stations in England in the NSIP process. It is proposed that fusion energy would be included in the amendment as proposed in the EN-7 consultation subject to the outcome of this consultation.
• Fusion may have a large role in producing high-grade heat for other industrial processes such as hydrogen production or desalination. This consultation proposes amending the Planning Act 2008 to clarify that the output of an energy producing facility includes both electrical and thermal output for the purposes of the NSIP process.
• Fusion energy facilities are not yet deployable in the UK and although the public and private sector have set out timelines for deployment, there is not enough certainty to apply a deployment deadline. The government also thinks applying a deadline to fusion energy facilities would unnecessarily constrict their deployment.

UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Consultation on a new National Policy Statement for Fusion Energy

It’s a notable step forward and FIA will happily support to ensure the Fusion Energy NPS supports innovation and the commercialisation of fusion in the UK.

You can read the full consultation below – submissions are due 03 July.