New Nottinghamshire railway station plan for site set to deliver 10,000 jobs

A new Nottinghamshire railway station could be built to "unlock the full potential" of a site that is set to deliver 10,000 jobs in the county. Significant road improvements are also being requested around the former West Burton A power station near Retford, which is set to host the UK's first nuclear fusion energy plant.

Nottinghamshire will be serving as a prototype for the new nuclear technology and if it works, it could be rolled out across the UK grid. Set to become operational in 2040, the MP covering the area has now demanded infrastructure improvements to make the site a success.

Jo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, led a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on Wednesday (October 24) on the subject of the the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. The MP said: "I want to use this unique opportunity to change life outcomes for future generations in Bassetlaw.

"I want them to be enabled to take all of the advantages through fusion becoming part of the school curriculum and go on to be able to enter the field via vocational or academic training... In terms of immediate infrastructure asks, we need commitments for a railway station on site and local road improvements so that we can begin to unlock the full potential of West Burton."

The planned site will use magnetic confinement fusion, where two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme temperatures and fused together to create helium and release energy. The government has previously said the energy created is "many million times" more efficient than burning coal, oil or gas and that materials needed are readily available in nature.

Bassetlaw's MP added: "When we founded the first industrial revolution, it was our red wall areas that led the way, and history is now repeating itself. Do we have the confidence to lead the world on fusion?

"Will we have the vision to create the silicon valley of green energy in Nottinghamshire? Although I know the minister cannot prejudice the outcome of the spending review, will we get the finance from government to make this whole thing viable?"

Energy minister Michael Shanks responded to Jo White by saying: "STEP is a first-of-a-kind programme, and there will, of course, be challenges. My hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw mentioned a number of the logistical challenges in the local area—we will work through those things together with the local community, and I know that she was involved in the local council for many years as well."

Bassetlaw's MP also said that as well as the West Burton site, there is a vision to create a wider "clean energy supercluster" involving three other decommissioned coal-fired power station sites. Taken together, Jo White says the cluster could deliver 6,000 new construction jobs and 15,500 operational jobs.

The West Burton A coal plant has been decommissioned and work is underway on demolishing the plant. The cooling towers are expected to be torn down in 2027.