Sir, I enjoyed reading about the history of Didcot Power station in Matt Oliver’s article. However, one very important local factor concerning the plant was omitted.

It is often claimed that one of the principal reasons that Didcot ‘A’ has closed is because it would have been too expensive to retro-fit suitable technology to clean up the emissions of this ‘dirty’ coal-fired plant. Perhaps. That Didcot ‘A’ environmental credentials are less than perfect cannot be disputed but on this point it should be pointed out that the plant has atoned for its emissions.

In 1978, construction began on the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion project at nearby Culham. This was, and remains, the world’s largest experimental device designed to understand how we might one day generate clean and almost unlimited energy from nuclear fusion (as opposed to nuclear fission employed by current nuclear plants).

Culham was chosen in part because the experiment requires huge electrical input to kick-start and maintain the fusion processes.

At the time, the National Grid was a far less robust structure than today and a nearby major power station was needed. Didcot ‘A’ was under-utilised and thus ideal. In the early days of the experiments, scientists had to call the operations centre at Didcot to inform them that power was required.

The goal of fusion power stations may or may not remain 50 years distant but the Culham Science Centre, with its world-class JET fusion experiment and the thousands of scientists and support staff employed there, would probably not exist if the Didcot ‘A’ Power Station had not been built.

Clean fusion energy has the potential to solve many of environmental issues related to our need for energy. ‘Dirty’ Didcot ‘A’ has played a key role in working towards this goal.

Dr Lee Upcraft

Clapcot Way

Wallingford