ITER 'Fusion for Energy' opens for business
'It is time for fusion to deliver. And this is now in your hands,' said Janez Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research, as he officially opened 'Fusion for Energy', the European procurement agency for the international experimental thermonuclear reactor (ITER) in Barcelona, Spain, on 28 June. An agreement on the premises of Fusion for Energy, and setting out the conditions for the agency's activities and staff, was signed by the Spanish Minister for Science and Education, Mercedes Cabrera Calvo-Sotelo, as well as Commissioner Potocnik. Based in Barcelona, the new 'European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy', known as Fusion for Energy for short, will work with industry and research organisations around Europe to provide the components needed to build ITER. Almost half the parts that make up ITER will come from Europe, in the form of 'in-kind' contributions. The agency will have a budget of €4 billion for the first 10 years. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony on 28 June, Commissioner Potocnik said that the new agency would allow the EU to contribute to ITER in a rapid, organised and effective way. 'By bringing together the knowledge and expertise needed for the construction of a demonstration fusion power plant, Fusion for Energy should become a centre of excellence that will allow Europe and its partners to benefit fully from fusion energy in the future,' he continued. In addition to its role in procuring parts for ITER, the agency will provide the European contributions to the 'broader approach' agreement with Japan on collaborative fusion research projects. These include the engineering design activities for the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), a joint initiative between the EU, Japan, Russia and the US. Fusion for Energy is also mandated to prepare for the construction of demonstration fusion reactors (or DEMO) that can demonstrate large-scale electrical power production. 'I am convinced that Europe must be at the very forefront of the DEMO effort - and we have a duty to realise the investment of European taxpayers in this venture,' said Mr Potocnik. ITER is an international collaborative research project on an unprecedented scale, involving seven partners: the EU, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Russia, India and the US. The experimental fusion reactor, to be located in Cadarache, southern France, will attempt to reproduce on Earth the nuclear reactions that power the Sun and other stars. Fusion can produce as much energy from half a bath of water and a notebook battery as can be produced with 40 tonnes of coal.
Countries
Spain, France