Minister for Nuclear and Networks, , has announced the
appointment of Paul Methven as the inaugural CEO of UK Industrial
Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) responsible for the delivery of STEP – a
prototype fusion energy plant to be built at West Burton,
Nottinghamshire.
STEP will be led by UKIFS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK
Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), with Professor Sir Ian Chapman
remaining as the Group CEO.
The STEP programme aims to pave the way for the commercialisation
of fusion energy and the potential development of a fleet of
future fusion powerplants around the world, ensuring the UK
remains at the forefront of a new technology and emerging
industry.
Minister Bowie made the announcement during his first visit to
STEP’s future home in West Burton where he also emphasised the
wider benefits the programme will bring to the region.
Minister for Nuclear and Networks, Andrew Bowie, said: “The STEP
programme is at the heart of our Fusion Strategy – key to making
the potential of new fusion energy a commercial reality, and to
drive economic growth.
“Paul Methven will bring a wealth of experience to the programme,
working to deliver a fusion reactor by 2040 and to cement the
UK’s place at the front of the global race to develop this
cutting-edge technology.”
Professor Sir Ian Chapman, Group CEO of UKAEA, said: “STEP has
the potential to be a revolutionary programme, but it is highly
complex and involves great uncertainties. It needs a brilliant
CEO who can manage such complex engineering programmes and grow
and unite a national endeavour to deliver fusion.
“I’m delighted that, in Paul Methven, we have secured exactly
that – a brilliant leader with a track record of working in
complex major programmes that matter to the country and leading
diverse teams in public-private partnerships. I am excited to
work with Paul and his team to deliver STEP and make fusion power
a reality.”
Paul joined the STEP programme in September 2020 from the
Ministry of Defence, where he was Director of Submarine
Acquisition at the Submarine Delivery Agency. In this role
he was Programme Director for Dreadnought, the UK’s second
largest major programme after HS2, and has previously led a
number of other major and complex programmes across the MoD.
Professor David Gann CBE, Chair of UKIFS, said: “The appointment
of the inaugural CEO for UKIFS marks an important milestone as we
strive to generate electricity from fusion, which will provide a
huge economic opportunity for the UK.
“I look forward to working closely with Paul and the STEP team to
ensure the programme stimulates a vibrant industrial base
alongside the development of future fusion skills and the global
deployment of fusion energy.”
Fusion has potential to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon
energy for generations to come. It is based on the same processes
that power the sun and stars.
When a mix of two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme
temperatures – 10 times hotter than the core of the sun – they
fuse together to create helium and release huge amounts of
energy.
Fusion energy has the potential to provide ‘baseload’ power,
complementing renewable and other low carbon energy sources as a
share of many countries’ energy portfolios. Achieving this
involves working at the forefront of science, engineering, and
technology.
