
Fusion energy: environmental regulation
We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. How fusion energy is regulated in England and how to find out about environmental permits and other activities at fusion sites in England. The Environment Agency has: The Environment Agency regulates fusion activities in England with the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ). This guidance explains: Fusion is the reaction that powers the sun and all other stars. It happens when 2 light nuclei (hydrogen) combine to form a heavier nucleus (helium). This process releases a huge amount of energy. To produce energy from fusion on Earth, these nuclei (usually isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium) are heated to around 150 million degrees Celsius. At these temperatures, they form a gas of charged particles known as plasma and the atoms can fuse together. A fusion machine uses the energy released from the fusion reaction to generate electricity. The UK government’s delivery body for fusion energy is the UK Atomic Energy Authority ( UKAEA ) . Their website provides more information on: In 2022, the government response to a consultation confirmed that future fusion energy facilities will be regulated under the legal framework already in place for fusion. The Environment Agency regulates fusion activities in England with the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) . The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator. The Environment Agency protects people and the environment as they enable the safe, sustainable and innovative growth of the UK fusion sector. In line with government commitments, their approach is ready for the next evolution of fusion developments through a regulatory framework that is both enabling and proportionate. The Environment Agency and HSE will work together to make sure that fusion research and energy sites meet the required high standards for: Fusion activities that generate electricity will present a range of environmental challenges through their lifecycles. The Environment Agency will engage with developers as early as possible so that environmental protection measures are incorporated from the start. The Environment Agency and HSE have developed an aligned early engagement process for fusion developers in England. It’s to help organisations exploring or proposing to develop fusion facilities, or other interested parties, to: During construction, developers of fusion facilities will need several environmental permits so that: During operations, a fusion activity may need different environmental permits, such as for: Once operations have ended, the fusion activity will need to be decommissioned and dismantled, and the site returned to a satisfactory state before the land can be reused. Read the following guidance which explains how to apply for and comply with your environmental permit (or permits): CCFE was created by UKAEA in 1965 in Oxfordshire and hosted the world’s biggest fusion experiment, the Joint European Torus ( JET ), from 1983 to 2023. The Environment Agency regulates: The Environment Agency conduct independent, environmental radiological monitoring around the Culham site and publish this information annually in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment ( RIFE ) report . Environment Agency radioactive substances regulators attend the Culham Local Liaison Committee every 6 months. UKFE is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UKAEA Group. It was founded in 2023 and has offices at Culham, Oxfordshire and the development site at West Burton, Nottinghamshire. UKFE will lead the delivery of the STEP Fusion programme to design and build the UK’s first pr
How does this affect you?
Get an AI analysis of this article grounded in your jurisdictions, practice areas, and any policy documents you've uploaded to Wansom.
Finish Reading the Full Story and the Expert Analysis.
Get the latest legal & regulatory intelligence in United Kingdom
Wansom is AI and can make mistakes.
