Finnish companies gear up to participate in ITER
Finnish companies are geared up and ready to participate in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which the Finnish National Technology Agency (Tekes) says is thanks in part to its completed FUSION technology programme. Launched in 2003, the €18.4 million programme focused on the same activities covered by the European Fusion Programme. These range from fusion plasma and plasma wall interactions, to fusion reactor materials research, the development of superconducting wires and remote handling systems. A total of 15 Finnish companies and 12 research teams have participated in the programme. As result of their work, more than 220 studies have appeared in leading scientific publications and there have been eight doctoral studies. 'The Tekes programme had a strong effect on the materials research and remote maintenance systems that fusion power will require. Finland now has a unique concentration of competence in these areas,' said Seppo Karttunen, chief research scientist at Finland's Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). He has been the programme manager of the four-year Tekes programme. 'These fields of research will be crucial to the ITER project, for which Finnish companies will now be able to provide products and innovations. ITER's centre for developing remote maintenance systems is being established in Tampere, Central Finland, which is a strong sign of the esteem that Finland enjoys.' he added. Although the programme is now completed, Tekes says it will continue to fund research and development in the field. It will specifically cooperate at EU level on remote maintenance, materials and manufacturing technologies and on projects related to plasma physics and diagnostics that will serve ITER construction and participation. Preparations are underway to build ITER at Cadarache in southern France. It is expected to become operational in 2016 and construction costs are estimated at €5 billion over 10 years. When completed, ITER will hopefully produce energy by nuclear fusion, the process by which two lighter atoms fuse together to make a larger atom, releasing large amounts of energy in the process. Fusion is the energy source that powers the stars.
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