Since 2010, the UK public investment into fusion research and development has totalled around £970 million. All such investment of taxpayer funds has alternative uses, whether in science, energy, or other fields. Sceptics of fusion argue, in the much-repeated phrase, that the benefits of fusion are always 20 years away—with the implication that such funds could be better spent elsewhere. It is true that fusion is highly unlikely to make a material contribution to electricity generation by 205...

Since 2010, the UK public investment into fusion research and development has totalled around £970 million. All such investment of taxpayer funds has alternative uses, whether in science, energy, or other fields. Sceptics of fusion argue, in the much-repeated phrase, that the benefits of fusion are always 20 years away—with the implication that such funds could be better spent elsewhere. It is true that fusion is highly unlikely to make a material contribution to electricity generation by 2050, in the time to contribute to our net zero commitment being met. It is also true that there are many risks, uncertainties, and dependencies—such as the Type: conclusion | Number: 27 | Paragraph: 143 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: Over 2021/22 to 2024/25, we are investing over £700 million to the UKAEA’s cutting edge research programmes and facilities to grow the capability of UK industry and make the UK the global hub for fusion innovation. Included in this is a £24