The 37th meeting of the ITER Council has reported significant progress. ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi reported that ITER is somewhat ahead of schedule while spending is less than anticipated. The Council urged the ITER Organisation and all domestic agencies to continue to drive this pace and performance.
ITER is a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. As the host, Europe contributes almost half of the costs of its construction (45.6%), while the other six members of this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US), contribute equally for the remaining expenses (9.1% each). However, in practice, the members deliver little monetary contribution to the project, instead providing ‘in-kind’ contributions of components, systems or buildings.
The goal of ITER is to operate at 500 MW (for at least 400 seconds continuously) with 50 MW of plasma heating power input. Some 33 nations are collaborating in the construction of ITER, which began in 2010, many of them through their Domestic Agencies (DAs).
In particular, the Council welcomed the steady progress on assembly and installation of the sector modules, noting that this remains the critical path for the project schedule. It noted progress on assembly of the central solenoid, start of production of all divertor components, installation of the first gyrotron for electron cyclotron heating, completion of the bioshield penetrations in the Tokamak Building, and sustained positive interaction with the French nuclear safety regulator.
The on-schedule deliveries of key components further demonstrated the support of all Members through their in-kind contributions. These included the first batch of shield blocks for the blanket, the first port plug test bench, and the cryostat for further cryogenic testing of some poloidal and toroidal field coils.
The Council welcomed continuing engagement with private sector fusion efforts, including the open sourcing of ITER’s scientific simulation software and the planned release of the first volume of the ITER Design Handbook by the end of 2025. ITER offers a unique opportunity for the global fusion community, serving as a training ground for the fusion workforce. The Council recognised the involvement of the private sector in the fusion development process.
Council Members re-emphasised the value of the ITER mission and resolved to work together to facilitate ITER’s success. The Council noted the challenges and successes of this first-of-a-kind project and expressed appreciation that all ITER members support project success.
