Minister for Energy (): My Honourable Friend
of Balham, Minister of State
for Science, Research and Innovation has today made the following
statement:
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is today
publishing a draft National Policy Statement
(NPS) for Fusion Energy Generation (EN-8).
Fusion energy has the potential to play a key role in the UK
future energy system, supporting long-term energy security,
delivering an abundant source of zero carbon energy and with the
potential to export the technology globally. In the shorter term,
it is helping drive growth across the country, delivering high
skilled jobs, inward investment and supply chain development. As
fusion technologies continue to advance and private investment
accelerates globally, a clear and proportionate planning
framework is essential to ensure the UK remains competitive and
able to capitalise on the long-term economic opportunities
fusion energy presents.
Today a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for fusion energy
infrastructure, EN-8, was laid before Parliament. This delivers
on the Government's commitments both within the UK's modern
Industrial Strategy and UK Fusion Strategy to develop a
fusion-specific NPS and publish a draft by summer 2026 Publishing
this draft marks an important milestone in creating the
conditions for fusion to move from research to commercial
deployment in the UK. It will help ensure that the planning
system in England and Wales is ready to support future fusion
energy projects. This will support the growth of the UK fusion
industry, enable innovation and skills, and reinforce the UK's
position as a leading destination for fusion investment.
The draft EN-8 does not identify specific sites for fusion energy
infrastructure and is technology-agnostic (it will apply to
the different types of fusion energy technology, e.g. magnetic
and inertial confinement), ensuring flexibility for developers
and responsiveness to innovation in fusion design. This is
consistent with the Government's July 2025 response to a
consultation on a new NPS for fusion energy. That Government
response also set out nineteen fusion-specific considerations,
grouped into Environmental, Safety & Security, Operational
and Developmental themes. Draft EN-8 provides the detailed
requirements for developers and the Planning Inspectorate in
these areas, in addition to those that already exist in the
Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1). EN-8 has
a different scope to EN-7 which is the National Policy Statement
for Nuclear (fission) Energy Generation.
Today marks the start of the formal Parliamentary process to
designate EN-8 and bring it into force under the Planning Act
2008. From today until November 30th, Parliament will have the
opportunity to scrutinise the draft, raise questions and make
recommendations. A public consultation on EN-8 will run alongside
this stage of the Parliamentary process, and officials will
provide a summary of consultation responses to the relevant
Parliamentary Committees once all responses have been received.
Following consultation, EN-8 will be laid in Parliament in its
final form for approval by resolution by the House of Commons, or
by deemed consent by the House of Commons following a
21-sitting-day ‘consideration period'.
