Councillor wants Chesterfield to become a green fusion power hub

At the start of December, the government invited UK regions and communities to submit proposals to become the home of a new prototype fusion power plant, which would be the UK’s first.

The government has already committed £222 million to the project and Coun Snowdon, who represents the Liberal Democrats, says Chesterfield being involved would be a huge opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and make the area a major hub for fusion power.

He said: “This project should come to a place like Chesterfield, not just go automatically to an existing scientific centre in the south of England.

"This would be a good payback for Chesterfield, built on the dangerous coal industry of the past, to now become the home of a clean and pollution free energy source of the future.

"Fusion power has a huge potential to be a long-term clean energy source that is environmentally friendly, with no carbon emissions.

"This project will create thousands of highly skilled local jobs during the construction and operation of the plant, as well as more jobs in the local supply chain.”

At a full council meeting, Coun Snowdown asked council leader Coun Tricia Gilby: “As a demonstration of our town’s commitment to a carbon free energy future, will the leader of the council agree to develop and submit a bid for the prototype fusion reactor to be built within the Borough of Chesterfield?”

After the meeting, Coun Snowdon continued: “The council leader said she was aware of the project, but she was worried about safety and toxic emissions

"The lack of ambition to bring clean energy production to Chesterfield shown by the council leader was disappointing, as was the lack of scientific understanding.

"We should all be aware that the fuel for fusion is hydrogen and the only by-product is helium, which most people recognise as the gas used to fill balloons.”

Nominations to host the prototype reactor have to be submitted by March.