Oral Answers to Questions

Michael Fabricant Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mark Fletcher (Bolsover) (Con)]

10. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing nuclear fusion technology to provide energy.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing nuclear fusion technology to provide energy.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Grant Shapps)]

As set out in the Government’s fusion strategy, the environmental and economic impact of fusion energy could be transformational. The Government’s programme aims to drive commercialisation of fusion energy by building a prototype fusion energy plant by 2040.

--- Later in debate ---

[Grant Shapps]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and the importance of that plant to the east midlands could be tremendous. The spherical tokamak for energy production—STEP—programme could support a large number of jobs. When I launched “Powering up Britain” with the Prime Minister at Culham, we stood next to the tokamak—the hottest place in the solar system. Some might think that that would be the sun, but it is 10 times hotter than the sun. To put that in context, that would be more than all the hot air from the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) in an entire year.

[Michael Fabricant]

My right hon. Friend has answered all the questions that I was going to ask. What work is he doing with Manchester University—I have not told him that I was going to ask this—which is also doing research in that area?

[Grant Shapps]

I am going to have to riff this one, since that came out of the blue. The UK Atomic Energy Authority is working across the country, including with Manchester University. Its CEO, Sir Ian Chapman, is very proactive on this issue, and he hopes to work with Manchester University, and other institutions, to ensure that the coal-fired power station that was closed down at the end of March in West Burton is opened as a fusion power station connected to the grid. That will be done with the help of Manchester University and many other institutions.