Milestone for First Fusion Reactor

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Construction of the world's largest experimental nuclear fusion project reached its first major milestone this week when pouring commenced of the concrete basemat for the Tokamak Complex in France.

It took 12 hours to pour 550-square metres of concrete for the first segment of the 15-segment basemat that will support the complex, home to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fusion reactor building, as well as diagnostic and tritium buildings. Over the next six months, 14 more segments will be poured. During that process, 15,000 cubic metres of concrete and 4,000 tons of reinforcement will be necessary for the B2 slab, which will act as a single foundation for the three buildings of the ITER Tokamak Complex.

The €13 billion ($17.3 billion) project to build the Tokamak complex at Cadarache in southern France will be the first large scale nuclear fusion project. Unlike current nuclear power where energy is created by splitting atoms, a fusion reaction, according to ITER, happens by fusing atoms together. If successful, ITER claims that they can produce three to four times more power than conventional nuclear. The Tokamak will have estimated generating capacity of 500-megawatts (MW).

"We are all very happy and may I say relieved to have reached this important and visible milestone for the ITER Project," said Laurent Patisson, leader of the Nuclear Building. "This is the beginning of B2 basemat slab realisation, and as I savour the moment I measure all of the work and effort that it has taken to reach this point."

He added: "The concrete qualified for the B2 basemat has been the object of particular care, meeting the rigorous requirements of a nuclear facility in terms of stability, water permeability and gas confinement."

The main reactor building will be 80 metres high, 120 metres long and 80 metres wide. Bigger than a football field it will be supported on 493 plinths equipped with anti-seismic bearings. These will support the overall weight of the Tokamak machine, which is estimated at 23,000 tons - almost three times the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

Over 20 qualification tests have been run by the contractor GTM Construction on the concrete formulation, ITER said.

Laurent explained: "For the realisation of the B2 slab we are relying on the experience and methodology of the contractors (GTM Construction) who already carried out the first works in the Seismic Pit, including the basemat, seismic columns and retaining walls. Up to now we have been working on paper. We're all eager to get to the next level and see the B2 slab take shape."

Last month, contracts worth €530 million ($715 million) were awarded by Fusion for Energy (F4E), a European Union (E.U.) group overseeing Europe's contribution to the ITER, to three GDF Suez SA (EPA:GSZ) (Paris, France) subsidiaries - Cofely Axima, Cofely Ineo and Cofely Endel - and Germany's M+W Group. For additional information, see November 4, 2013, article - Europe Awards Fusion Reactor Contracts .

View Project report - 72000078

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