Nottinghamshire MP Jo White is advocating for a railway station at the former West Burton Power Station, where a new fusion energy plant is planned to create 10,000 jobs.
A Nottinghamshire MP is advocating strongly for the establishment of a railway station at a former power station where 10,000 jobs are anticipated. An existing rail line services the site, and the MP contends that the primary hurdle is securing new investment and ensuring the connections meet contemporary standards. Jo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, was discussing the planned STEP Fusion site at the former West Burton Power Station.
Scheduled to become operational by 2040, the plant will utilize a groundbreaking form of energy production purportedly far more efficient than fossil fuels. The MP first broached the possibility of a railway station at the planned site in October 2024 and, when asked if it was now feasible, stated, 'I'm pressing on that hard. The site is currently undergoing its master planning process, then it goes for planning permission. It will only work if we start looking at the infrastructure that needs to happen around it in terms of that rail link from Retford, onto the site and then onto Gainsborough and Lincoln. It exists, it's just making sure it meets modern standards. That brings in the workforce, but also it takes the products that need to go into the site off the road, it's so important. The line used to take coal into the site and obviously that happened right up until the plant closed in 2023.' Echoing the call to upgrade infrastructure in anticipation of the plant's operational status is East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, who remarked, 'I think all of that is something that we are going to have to look at because we need the infrastructure to support it. Anyone who goes to West Burton now, you're driving through little country roads. If that is going to be the UK centre for atomic energy, a fusion centre, it's going to bring new technology, new innovation. It is our NASA moment, as it's being described, because it offers such huge potential to develop other things. Well if you're going to have that and you're going to have homes and you're going to have new businesses, we need the infrastructure to support it.' The Mayor and MP were speaking on Wednesday (January 22) as energy minister Michael Shanks visited a construction company in Worksop to discuss new funding designed to address skills shortages, in preparation for the 'next generation' of industrial jobs. On the significance of projects like West Burton, Jo White added: 'The problem with this area is that if you want a good, well-paid job, you have to move away, so the high-skilled jobs are not here. This will create that step change to provide those opportunities. It's typical across many constituencies like mine where heavy industry has closed down or died, like the pits. Nothing really has replaced it, it's light industry or here we have a lot of supply chains in terms of logistics. There's nothing really that people can get their teeth into and be based here for the rest of their lives.
RAILWAY STATION FUSION ENERGY WEST BURTON POWER STATION JOBS INFRASTRUCTURE STEP FUSION
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
West Burton: Five bids to build nuclear fusion power plantThe government has announced a shortlist of bids to deliver the prototype facility.
Read more »
MP Pushes for Railway Station at Former Power Station Site to Accommodate 10,000 JobsJo White, the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, is advocating for the development of a railway station at the former West Burton Power Station site, where a pioneering STEP Fusion plant is planned. The project, set to create 10,000 jobs by 2040, requires robust infrastructure to support its operations and workforce. White emphasizes the importance of upgrading an existing rail line connecting Retford, the site, and Gainsborough and Lincoln to meet modern standards and accommodate the influx of people and goods.
Read more »
Brits paying around £2million an HOUR to power up gas-fired power stations amid power shortagesPower shortages meant households paid around £2million an hour to power up gas-fired power stations yesterday.
Read more »
Record £410 Million Funding Boosts Fusion Energy Project at Former Nottinghamshire Power StationA major project creating around 10,000 jobs at a former Nottinghamshire power station has received a significant funding boost. Five companies are competing for the contract to deliver the STEP fusion energy plant at the old West Burton Power Station. The £410 million funding will primarily focus on the STEP project, alongside supporting the UK Atomic Energy Authority. This project aims to replace jobs lost in the coal mining industry and position Nottinghamshire as a leader in 'the energy of the future'.
Read more »
11th Century Silver Coin Hoard Unearthed at Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station SiteA remarkable discovery of 321 silver coins dating back to the 11th century has been made at the Sizewell C nuclear power station site in Suffolk, England. The coins, found wrapped in a cloth bundle, are believed to represent the savings of a local individual who may have feared societal upheaval following Edward the Confessor's coronation.
Read more »
Near-Century-Old Coins Unearthed at UK Nuclear Power Station SiteA remarkable discovery of 321 silver coins dating back to the eleventh century has been made at the future location of Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk, England. The find, nicknamed 'the pasty,' is considered a valuable archaeological time capsule providing insights into the historical period.
Read more »