Fusion energy: environmental regulation
How fusion energy is regulated in England and how to find out about environmental permits and other activities at fusion sites in England.
Applies to England
Latest updates
The Environment Agency has:
- published Fusion energy developers: engage early with regulators guidance
- published a blog post Enabling the safe and sustainable growth of the fusion industry
The Environment Agency regulates fusion activities in England with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
This guidance explains:
- how fusion energy is regulated in England
- where to find environmental permitting and early engagement guidance
- what fusion sites are currently regulated by the Environment Agency
- how to get involved and give your views
How fusion energy works
Fusion is the reaction that powers the sun and all other stars. It happens when 2 light nuclei (hydrogen) combine to form a heavier nucleus (helium). This process releases a huge amount of energy.
To produce energy from fusion on Earth, these nuclei (usually isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium) are heated to around 150 million degrees Celsius. At these temperatures, they form a gas of charged particles known as plasma and the atoms can fuse together.
A fusion machine uses the energy released from the fusion reaction to generate electricity.
The UK government’s delivery body for fusion energy is the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Their website provides more information on:
- how fusion energy works
- the history of commercial fusion energy development in the UK
- the delivery of the STEP Fusion programme to design and build the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant
How fusion energy is regulated in England
In 2022, the government response to a consultation confirmed that future fusion energy facilities will be regulated under the legal framework already in place for fusion.
The Environment Agency regulates fusion activities in England with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator.
The Environment Agency protects people and the environment as they enable the safe, sustainable and innovative growth of the UK fusion sector. In line with government commitments, their approach is ready for the next evolution of fusion developments through a regulatory framework that is both enabling and proportionate.
The Environment Agency and HSE will work together to make sure that fusion research and energy sites meet the required high standards for:
- environmental protection, including the management of radioactive waste
- industrial safety, including radiation protection for workers and the public
How to engage early with fusion regulators
Fusion activities that generate electricity will present a range of environmental challenges through their lifecycles. The Environment Agency will engage with developers as early as possible so that environmental protection measures are incorporated from the start.
The Environment Agency and HSE have developed an aligned early engagement process for fusion developers in England. It’s to help organisations exploring or proposing to develop fusion facilities, or other interested parties, to:
- understand the technology to be deployed
- clarify regulatory expectations
- set out development plans and timescales
- develop effective ways of working
Apply for an environmental permit
During construction, developers of fusion facilities will need several environmental permits so that:
- water bodies are protected
- wastes are disposed of correctly
- noise, dust and other nuisances are minimised
During operations, a fusion activity may need different environmental permits, such as for:
- using radioactive substances
- disposing of radioactive wastes
- abstracting cooling water from a river
- other industrial activities
Once operations have ended, the fusion activity will need to be decommissioned and dismantled, and the site returned to a satisfactory state before the land can be reused.
Read the following guidance which explains how to apply for and comply with your environmental permit (or permits):
- Application form Part RSR-B8: apply for or vary an unsealed sources and radioactive waste for large‑scale fusion activities permit
- radioactive substances regulation (RSR) environmental permitting guidance
- guidance for other environmental permits
- RSR technical guidance
Fusion sites regulated by the Environment Agency
Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE)
CCFE was created by UKAEA in 1965 in Oxfordshire and hosted the world’s biggest fusion experiment, the Joint European Torus (JET), from 1983 to 2023.
The Environment Agency regulates:
- how UKAEA manages radioactive waste at the site
- discharges from the site and radioactive waste disposal
- decommissioning of the JET
The Environment Agency conduct independent, environmental radiological monitoring around the Culham site and publish this information annually in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report.
Environment Agency radioactive substances regulators attend the Culham Local Liaison Committee every 6 months.
UK Fusion Energy Limited (UKFE)
UKFE is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UKAEA Group. It was founded in 2023 and has offices at Culham, Oxfordshire and the development site at West Burton, Nottinghamshire.
UKFE will lead the delivery of the STEP Fusion programme to design and build the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant. It is targeting operations for 2040.
The Environment Agency does not currently regulate this project. Our national fusion team will work alongside our area team to:
- provide pre-application advice
- de-risk the permitting process
- promote an efficient and enabling approach to this innovative technology
In the future, the Environment Agency will regulate:
- how the operator will manage radioactive waste at the site
- discharges from the site and radioactive waste disposal
- water abstraction and other industrial processes
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd is in the pre-application stage for its proposed development site. As a statutory consultee in the planning process, the Environment Agency will:
- respond to pre-application consultations and other stages of the planning process
- engage with the local community and wider stakeholders throughout the Development Consent Order (planning) process
- engage with the local community and wider stakeholders for any environmental permits the company applies for during construction and for the plant’s operation
Other fusion companies
As well as UKAEA, many private companies are developing commercial fusion power. The UK government encourages investment from private companies into the UK fusion market, allowing them to benefit from UK expertise and knowledge. They expect the public and private sectors to benefit from working together in the future.
The Environment Agency regulates several small, private companies engaged in the development of fusion technologies, including:
- Tokamak Energy, Oxfordshire – is targeting commercial fusion energy through its research and development of compact spherical tokamaks and high temperature superconducting magnets
- First Light Fusion, Oxfordshire – a commercial organisation focusing on developing fusion power
- Astral Neutronics Limited, South Gloucestershire – a company developing fusion technology to generate medical radioisotopes
You can find and request information about the environmental permits for the UKAEA and other companies on the public register.
International collaboration
The Environment Agency is engaging with international regulators and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enable fusion energy production. This includes sharing best practice and approaches to fusion regulation to learn more about regulatory frameworks.
The Environment Agency collaborates with and has signed memoranda of understanding with:
- the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission on fusion regulation
Supporting UK policies
The UK government set out its commitment to the development of commercial fusion power and supporting technologies in A new energy revolution: The UK’s plan for delivering fusion energy (2026).
Other supporting policy and strategy documents from the UK government include:
- Draft National Policy Statement for fusion energy (EN-8) for consultation – follows a 2024 consultation to align planning for fusion energy facilities with other energy generating technologies
- a regulatory landscape document published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
- Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan (2025) – highlights fusion energy as one of the priorities for the UK’s clean energy economy
How to get involved
You can talk to Environment Agency specialists about regulating fusion and respond to consultations on guidance and environmental permits for any future fusion energy site.
The Environment Agency want their decisions about environmental permits to be better informed through good engagement. They want to understand your views and, where relevant, use them to help inform their permit assessments.
The Environment Agency is engaging with the public and wider stakeholders at current fusion energy research sites.
The Environment Agency will advertise environmental permit applications on GOV.UK and the public register with information about how to get involved. You’ll be able to see and respond to consultations on their consultations website.
The Environment Agency have also published the following blogs about their work:
- Enabling the safe and sustainable growth of the international fusion industry (2026)
- Towards fusion energy regulation (2022)
- Regulating fusion – preparing for future energy generation (2021)
Contact the Environment Agency
For more information about the Environment Agency’s role in the regulation of fusion energy, email fusion@environment-agency.gov.uk.