Kier Group joins the ILIOS consortium to build the STEP prototype fusion plant at West Burton, with an initial £200m tranche and a wider programme valued at up to £10bn.
Kier will operate through ILIOS, a consortium it leads jointly with Nuvia, with specialist support from AECOM, AL_A and Turner & Townsend. The consortium has been appointed by UK Fusion Energy to design and build all buildings, infrastructure and facilities at the STEP site in West Burton, Nottinghamshire, as well as overseeing constructability, project controls and programme integration, according to the filing.
STEP is sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and is described as the UK's flagship fusion energy initiative. At peak activity, the project is expected to support up to 8,000 onsite jobs.
Chief Executive Stuart Togwell said STEP was "exactly the type of long-term, complex national infrastructure programme our teams are well-placed to deliver," adding that it brings "further high-quality opportunity in a sector where we see clear growth as fusion moves towards commercial viability."
Kier said the appointment strengthens its long-term revenue visibility in nuclear and complex regulated infrastructure, markets it has identified as strategic growth areas.
The recap
• Kier, via the ILIOS consortium, wins construction partner role on the UK's STEP fusion energy programme, with an initial £200m three-year tranche. • The wider STEP programme carries future opportunities of up to £10bn, with peak activity supporting up to 8,000 onsite jobs at West Burton, Nottinghamshire. • The appointment is backed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and adds multi-year revenue visibility to Kier's nuclear infrastructure pipeline.
