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Released August 05, 2020 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The world's first planned fusion reactor has reached the "assembly phase" and an estimate of first fusion power is predicted for 2025.
Located at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) at Cadarache in southeastern France, the 20 billion-euro project, supported by many countries, will replicate reactions that power the sun and will demonstrate that fusion power can be generated on a commercial scale. If successful, it will be the culmination of more than 60 years of research and, unlike nuclear power, leave no costly hazardous waste. The assembly phase has been delayed by COVID-19 as many of its millions of components are being manufactured in different countries around the world. The ITER project employs roughly 10,000 people and is overseen by eight members: China, the 27 nations of the European Union (EU), India, Japan, Korea, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.
In a videoconference with other country leaders backing the ITER project, French President Emmanuel Macron officially launched the assembly phase and said: "There are moments when the nations of the world choose to overcome their differences to meet a particular moment in history. The decision to launch ITER, in the mid-2000s, was one of these moments. ITER is a promise of peace."
"I heartily congratulate the ITER Project," stated Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan. "I believe disruptive innovation will play a key role in addressing global issues, including climate change and realizing a sustainable carbon-free society."
In a statement, China's President Xi Jinping said: "The ITER project--one of the most important international scientific collaborations--embodies the human desire for the peaceful use of fusion energy."
In June, Industrial Info reported that the first and heaviest component of the world's first planned fusion reactor was successfully installed. The 1,250-tonne steel base of the cryostat, which will insulate the magnetic system at cryogenic temperature from the outside environment, was lifted from its frame, carried across the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak Building over the course of a day and eventually lowered into the Tokamak assembly pit. Shaped like a large soup plate, the base is the largest part of the cryostat that will eventually measure 30 metres high and 30 metres wide. It has taken 10 years to design, manufacture, deliver, assemble and weld. For additional information, see June 16, 2020, article - Milestone Reached at World's First Fusion Reactor.
Citing the latest achievements, ITER noted the arrival of components that have been five years in the making:
Located at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) at Cadarache in southeastern France, the 20 billion-euro project, supported by many countries, will replicate reactions that power the sun and will demonstrate that fusion power can be generated on a commercial scale. If successful, it will be the culmination of more than 60 years of research and, unlike nuclear power, leave no costly hazardous waste. The assembly phase has been delayed by COVID-19 as many of its millions of components are being manufactured in different countries around the world. The ITER project employs roughly 10,000 people and is overseen by eight members: China, the 27 nations of the European Union (EU), India, Japan, Korea, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.
In a videoconference with other country leaders backing the ITER project, French President Emmanuel Macron officially launched the assembly phase and said: "There are moments when the nations of the world choose to overcome their differences to meet a particular moment in history. The decision to launch ITER, in the mid-2000s, was one of these moments. ITER is a promise of peace."
"I heartily congratulate the ITER Project," stated Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan. "I believe disruptive innovation will play a key role in addressing global issues, including climate change and realizing a sustainable carbon-free society."
In a statement, China's President Xi Jinping said: "The ITER project--one of the most important international scientific collaborations--embodies the human desire for the peaceful use of fusion energy."
In June, Industrial Info reported that the first and heaviest component of the world's first planned fusion reactor was successfully installed. The 1,250-tonne steel base of the cryostat, which will insulate the magnetic system at cryogenic temperature from the outside environment, was lifted from its frame, carried across the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak Building over the course of a day and eventually lowered into the Tokamak assembly pit. Shaped like a large soup plate, the base is the largest part of the cryostat that will eventually measure 30 metres high and 30 metres wide. It has taken 10 years to design, manufacture, deliver, assemble and weld. For additional information, see June 16, 2020, article - Milestone Reached at World's First Fusion Reactor.
Citing the latest achievements, ITER noted the arrival of components that have been five years in the making:
- In March, the European Domestic Agency, Fusion for Energy, completed the unification of the Assembly and Tokamak Buildings, enabling the 750-tonne overhead cranes to transport components into the Tokamak Pit.
- The first two toroidal field coils, from Japan and Europe, arrived at ITER in April. The third from Japan has now arrived in France.
- The first poloidal field coil (PF6), procured by Europe in collaboration with China, has arrived in France. PF5 is also nearing completion at ITER.
- The first vacuum vessel sector, fabricated in Korea with port stubs supplied by Russia, was completed in April and will arrive at ITER next month.
- In May, Korea completed the final elements of the thermal shield.
- The cryostat upper cylinder was completed and placed in storage in April. Later this month, India will celebrate the completion of all elements of the Cryostat.
- In May, the 1,250-tonne cryostat base was successfully lifted, transported from the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak Building, and positioned in the Tokamak Pit, with a precision of 3 millimetres as specified.
