The experimental work, based at the decommissioned West Burton A power station near Retford, is aimed at creating a new energy source.

The project, called Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP), was showcased at a launch event on Tuesday in Gainsborough, just over the border in Lincolnshire.

Nuclear fusion recreates the same process that powers the sun and if plans are approved, backers said the project was expected to be constructed by 2040.