PEOPLE from North Ayrshire and across the West of Scotland are being asked to show their support for the bid to bring a revolutionary new fusion energy plant to Ardeer.

The proposed plant would be a world-leading facility and according to experts would produce safe, clean energy to help the fight against climate change, bringing thousands of new jobs and acting as an economic catalyst in this part of Scotland.

Those who want to back the proposed Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme coming to Ardeer are now being urged by North Ayrshire Council to show their support by signing a letter available at https://bit.ly/3Gt8fwC.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is currently visiting each of the five shortlisted sites for the plant, ahead of making a recommendation on the preferred option later this year.

As part of the UKAEA’s deliberations, they will be taking on board local sentiment towards the facility – and local support could be a key element.

The bid for the North Ayrshire site is being led by the Fusion Forward (Ardeer) consortium, which consists of the University of Glasgow, NPL Group, which owns the land, and North Ayrshire Council.

READ MORE: Anti-nuclear campaigners mount opposition to Ardeer fusion energy plant

Leaders from across these groups have already addressed why they believe locals should be backing the bid, plus what it can bring to the area and the people within it.

NPL Group development director, Arran Cameron, who has known the Ardeer site for 15 years, said: “The STEP project is a once in a generation opportunity for jobs and prosperity in Ayrshire and beyond.

"We have worked on major projects across our UK portfolio in waste, solar, wind and gas power generation systems but the scale of STEP is unprecedented.”

North Ayrshire Council leader Joe Cullinane said: “There’s no doubt that a STEP Fusion Plant can be a game-changer not only for Ardeer and North Ayrshire, but the whole of the West of Scotland.”

Professor Declan Diver, of the University of Glasgow’s School of Physics and Astronomy, is convenor of Fusion Forward (Ardeer), the consortium which put together the Ardeer bid.

He said: “I’ve been a researcher and teacher of plasma physics for 30 years, and STEP is without a doubt one of the most exciting developments I’ve seen during that time.

“A fusion power plant on the shores of North Ayrshire would bring with it a wide range of potentially transformative benefits for research, education and training.”