Britain has a chance to lead the world on fusion delivery – we must not pass it up
West Burton Power Station in Nottinghamshire (Leonora May / Alamy)
3 min read
Britain has successfully built a reputation as a world leader in fusion. In 2026, we have to prove we can turn that leadership into delivery.
For years, fusion has been spoken about in the future tense. Promising. World-leading. But always just over the horizon. Now, we are entering a decisive phase where ambition can give way to delivery. We go into this year with momentum. The government has already confirmed £410m for fusion in 2025–26, helping to keep national programmes moving at pace. That confidence was reinforced in the Spending Review, with a £2.5bn commitment over the coming years.
But funding alone is not enough. That is why the long-awaited Fusion Strategy will be so critical. Its publication in the spring will be a defining moment for the sector, one many of us are awaiting with bated breath. It must set out a credible roadmap to commercialisation, give industry confidence, and anchor fusion firmly within our wider energy, skills and industrial policy. Because without that national direction, it’s challenging to deliver projects on the ground.
And there is no clearer test of this than STEP Fusion, the UK’s flagship programme to build the first prototype fusion powerplant in the world, and one that is taking shape near my own constituency of Bassetlaw. Situated on the banks of the River Trent, West Burton is a former coal-fired power station. A place that powered Britain before is now being asked to help build what comes next. There is real pride locally that West Burton could once again sit at the heart of the country’s energy system, this time as part of a low-carbon future.
STEP Fusion aims to demonstrate how fusion can generate electricity and operate as a viable part of the energy system. This year will bring important milestones, including further design development, progress towards appointing a construction partner, and continued local engagement.
What is striking is that this progress is not confined to one site or one region. Fusion is moving forward right across the country, from national programmes and major facilities to fast-growing private firms, and the supply chains and skills base that will determine whether the UK can lead in delivery, not just discovery.
As I take on the role of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fusion Energy, I am ambitious for what the group can achieve. It is vital that we continue to raise awareness of fusion’s incredible potential, building on the fantastic work done in 2025. Progress at STEP remained central, while Proxima Fusion and Kyoto Fusioneering expanded their UK presence at UKAEA’s Culham Campus, reinforcing the UK’s position as a focal point for international fusion activity.
That momentum now needs to be sustained through Parliament. In the first half of this year, the APPG will host an educational briefing on First Light Fusion’s FLARE approach, helping MPs understand the range of fusion pathways being developed in the UK and the commercial realities behind them. Later, we will bring together the Fusion and AI APPGs to explore the growing interdependence between these technologies. These conversations are no longer theoretical. They are about infrastructure, compute, skills and long-term planning. And it is not just government making the case, Google in the US has signed a landmark deal to buy fusion power, a clear signal that AI’s growth will demand clean, reliable energy at scale.
Commercial deals like these should focus minds in Whitehall and Westminster alike. Industry is moving; the government’s Fusion Strategy is now the test of whether we are serious. I urge ministers to match that pace and ambition with a clear plan and a relentless focus on delivery.
Jo White is Labour MP for Bassetlaw, and chair of the APPG on Fusion Energy
