ILIOS, a consortium led by a Kier Nuvia joint venture with AECOM, architects AL_A and Turner & Townsend, providing specialist support, has been appointed by UK Fusion Energy to deliver the first three‑year, £200m tranche of the pioneering STEP fusion programme. The appointment covers the design and build of a world‑leading prototype fusion power plant in the Midlands and forms part of a wider programme with future opportunities valued at up to £10bn.
STEP Fusion, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is the UK’s flagship fusion energy programme, aiming to provide a sustainable energy source for everyday life, marking a major milestone in the transition to low carbon energy. The expertise brought by the construction partner will support the government’s aims to deliver on the huge long-term potential offered by fusion energy.
Led by UK Fusion Energy (previously known as UK Industrial Fusion Solutions), a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the programme aims to deliver a commercially viable fusion power plant at West Burton in Nottinghamshire, by 2040.
The consortium will pool its industry-leading skills and experience to work with UK Fusion Energy to create a first-of-a-kind national energy project and develop their vision for the West Burton site to become a world-leading prototype fusion energy plant.
ILIOS brings extensive experience from major national infrastructure, high hazard civil engineering, nuclear sector delivery, complex scientific and energy facilities, large programme and cost management, and worldclass design for innovation environments.
It will be responsible for the design and construction of all buildings, infrastructure and facilities on the STEP site as well as supporting the constructability and interface of the wider power plant.
Works will include site management, design, construction, programme planning, supply chain management, progress monitoring, project controls and constructability assurance, ensuring all activities are fully coordinated with project stakeholders and compliant with all relevant requirements and standards.
At its peak, construction at West Burton will support up to 8,000 onsite jobs, creating new opportunities for local residents and businesses as well as employment and training opportunities, including apprenticeships, and helping to anchor long-term economic growth.
Simon Matthews, programme director for ILIOS said:
This is a significant milestone in the UK’s transition to clean energy. Following an extensive and collaborative procurement stage, we are proud to be selected as construction partner for the STEP programme and to be part of this innovative and transformative chapter in energy supply. Through our involvement on the STEP programme, we will help advance the UK’s future energy resilience and decarbonisation ambitions, supporting economic and regional growth, high-quality jobs and the development of a long-term, UK-based, fusion supply chain.
Paul Methven CEO of UK Fusion Energy Limited said:
The appointment of ILIOS as our Construction Partner marks a significant milestone for the STEP Programme. Their combined experience in major infrastructure, safety critical engineering and complex site transformation gives us real confidence as we move from planning into delivery. This partnership will help ensure that West Burton becomes a leading centre of fusion innovation and a cornerstone of the UK’s future clean energy landscape.
This project builds on the UK’s fusion research and development strategy and underlines the government’s commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonisation.
Together, UK Fusion Energy and its partners aim to establish the foundations of a fusion energy sector capable of meeting high energy demands in the second half of this century.