AECOM announced that it will provide design and technical services as part of the ILIOS consortium, which has been appointed by UK Fusion Energy as Construction Partner for the first three-year, £200 million (US$266 million) tranche of the pioneering Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) program. 

The contract includes the design and construction of a cutting-edge prototype fusion power plant in the Midlands, and is part of a broader programme with potential future opportunities worth up to £10 billion (US$13.3 billion). STEP, backed by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is the nation’s flagship fusion initiative, aimed at delivering a sustainable energy source for everyday use and representing a significant step forward in the shift to low-carbon energy. Led by UK Fusion Energy (previously known as UK Industrial Fusion Solutions), a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the program aims to deliver a commercially viable fusion power plant at West Burton in Nottinghamshire by 2040.

ILIOS is led by a joint venture between Kier and Nuvia, with specialist expertise provided by AECOM, Turner & Townsend and AL_A. The team will oversee the design and construction of all buildings, infrastructure and site facilities for STEP, while also supporting construction planning and integration across the wider power plant. The scope of work includes site management, design and construction, programme planning, supply chain coordination, progress tracking, project controls, and constructability assurance, ensuring all activities are aligned with stakeholders and meet applicable standards and requirements. The project builds on the UK’s fusion research and development strategy, highlighting the government’s commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonisation. Together, UK Fusion Energy and its partners seek to lay the groundwork for a fusion energy sector capable of meeting significant energy demand in the latter half of the century.