UK Government Responds on New National Policy Statement, Paving the Way for Fusion Power Plants

On July 17, the UK Government published its response to the consultation on National Policy Statement (NPS) EN-8, which was launched in May 2024 to streamline the process and provide clarity on the planning of fusion power plants. In its response, the Government focuses on enabling the delivery of fusion power plants, highlighting near-term economic opportunity and explicitly recognizing that private companies plan to deliver commercial fusion plants within the 2030s. 

Our goal is to enable the realisation of the many significant economic, environmental and social benefits of fusion for local communities across the UK. This NPS will be a world first for fusion and another demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the deployment of fusion power.

Minister for Climate Kerry McCarthy MP, Consultation on a new National Policy Statement for Fusion Energy

The response includes several key outcomes, many of which reflect the FIA recommendations put forward last year as a response to the initial consultation launch. 

There is broad agreement on aligning fusion with other complex infrastructure in process terms, and the response includes a non-specific siting model that preserves flexibility for future project deployment. The Government agrees that fusion facilities beneath 50MWe should not be mandated to be consented via the NPS, protecting  the option for small plants to be consented under the Town and Country Planning Act – keeping the same option for fusion developers as those enjoyed by developers of other technologies. 

The consultation is an important step forward for fusion development in the UK. Setting a clear planning framework is a vital piece of the puzzle for enabling the commercial deployment of fusion powerplants in the UK. The key to accelerating commercial fusion is the public sector and private sector working in collaboration, and the response is a step forward.

Below is the response.

18 July 2025