Severn Edge fusion bid gets enthusiastic community support
Local communities close to the potential sites of a proposed £220M prototype fusion plant have given an enthusiastic response to a bid by the Western Gateway Partnership.
The plant is part of a government programme for the UK to be the first in the world to prove the commercial viability of fusion which aims to recreate the reaction that takes place within the Sun on earth to produce almost unlimited energy.
A senior team of fusion experts from the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme came to Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire to see the potential sites at the two decommissioned nuclear plants at Berkeley and Oldbury.
Over a week, nearly 400 people attended drop-in information sessions on the bid at Oldbury-on-Severn, Berkeley and Thornbury as well as an online forum.
Welcoming the UKAEA team at Berkeley on the first day of their visit, Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council and Western Gateway partnership board member, commented:
"Sixty-six years ago on this site, the early pioneers of the nuclear power began construction of the Berkeley Nuclear Power Station, and in 1961 Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories were opened-between them employing 750 people.
Nuclear is in our DNA-it’s part of our county’s rich history and we want to be part of that too.
Not for us, but for thousands of young people who like I was can come and be inspired, can come and learn, can come and find their future and be the next pioneers in this extraordinary story"
Cllr Toby Savage, Vice Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership and Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “It’s been great to see such a fantastic response from local residents. We really value the comments and support we’ve received for our bid to bring the UK’s best hope of developing clean, green fusion energy for the country to our sites in Oldbury and Berkeley.
"We believe that our area offers the best possible site for the government’s world leading programme which would bring billions of pounds of investment to the area alongside supporting over 30,000 jobs for people on both sides of the Severn. If you’d like to help us in this bid, please go to the Western Gateway and register your support."
Cllr Matthew Riddle, South Gloucestershire Council and Member of Oldbury Parish Council, said: “It is all very positive. I think a lot of that is due to the fact there is so much history of Nuclear in this country and in Berkeley and Oldbury and our local areas. Three generations have worked on the power stations over time with construction starting in the 1950s.
“It will be great for skills for our young people and for many it could provide a job for life. My message to government is that we are ready to go.”
The Western Gateway Severn Edge bid has reached the final five in the UK selection process for the prototype plant with a decision from government on the successful bid due late this year.
The Western Gateway partnership represents the economic powerhouse of South Wales and Western England, stretching from Swansea to Swindon. The partnership brings together business with academia and research alongside local authorities and governments on both sides of the Severn to tackle shared problems and level up communities.
To register comments and support, head to www.western-gateway.co.uk/severnedge