Contact:Laban Coblentz
Laban.Coblentz@iter.org+33 6 14 16 40 85

24th ITER Council welcomes sustained project progress withpreparation for transition to Machine Assembly
ST PAUL-LEZ-DURANCE, France (20 June 2019) – The ITER Council has convened toreview the performance of the ITER Project toward First Plasma in 2025. The Council
evaluated the progress of manufacturing, construction and installation against establishedperformance metrics and the Revised Construction Strategy approved in June 2018. Project
execution to achieve First Plasma is now more than 63% complete.
At its Twenty-Fourth Meeting on 19-20 June 2019, the ITER Council assessed the latest progress
reports and project performance metrics. The project continues to maintain a vigorous pace and robust
performance, with the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies working as an integrated One-ITER
team to meet the project’s demanding schedule and groundbreaking technical requirements.
Organizational Leadership: In keeping with the decision of the Council in January, DirectorGeneral Bernard Bigot has signed with the Council Chair, Arun Srivastava, a second five-year
term, to commence on 5 March 2020.

Construction and manufacturing progress: Since January 2016, 41 scheduled Council-approved
project milestones have been achieved. Europe has completed more than 70% of buildings andonsite civil works in the First Plasma scope. The first machine component, part of the Chinesesupplied superconducting coil feeder, has been installed in the Bioshield; and the firstcommissioned system, the US-supplied electrical switchyard, is now in use. In the AssemblyHall, both Korean-supplied 800-tonne Sub-Sector Assembly Tools are now installed. Europehas also handed over the Magnet Conversion Building to the ITER Organization, whereelectrical components supplied by China, India, Korea, and Russia are undergoing installation.
Over the coming months, India will celebrate completion of the Cryostat Base and Lower
Cylinder, Europe and China will mark the completion and shipment of the first Poloidal Field
Coil, and the first Toroidal Field Coil will arrive on site from Japan.
Substantial progress is ongoing for every major ITER component, system and structure.

Preparation for Machine Assembly: The Council approved a reorganization of the ITER
Organization suitable to the start of Machine Assembly phase in spring 2020, and took careful
note of measures by the ITER Organization to prepare for this transition. An In-Depth
Independent Review of the ITER Organization’s Assembly and Installation Strategy will belaunched next month.

Neutral Beam Test Facility: The Neutral Beam Test Facility, a joint effort of Europe, Japan,India, and the ITER Organization, relies heavily on Italy’s committed financial contribution tocreate and validate at full scale the physics and technology of ITER’s most powerful plasma1heating system. The Council approved the draft agreement between the ITER Organization andConsorzio RFX to extend the Neutral Beam Test Facility’s mission until May 2030.
ITER Member support: The Council noted with appreciation the efforts made by all Members to meettheir in-kind and in-cash commitments to enable successful implementation of the refinements to theconstruction strategy to achieve First Plasma in 2025. The Council reaffirmed the importance of all
ITER Members meeting their annual in-kind and in-cash commitments on a timely basis to enablesuccessful implementation of the construction strategy.
Council Members reaffirmed their strong belief in the value of the ITER Project mission and vision todevelop fusion science and technology, and resolved to work together to find timely solutions tofacilitate ITER’s success. The Council congratulated the One-ITER team on the commitment toeffective collaboration that has put the project on the path to success. The Council will continue toclosely monitor project performance, and to provide the support needed to maintain this pace ofachievement.
BACKGROUND TO THE PRESS RELEASE
ITER—designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power—will be
the world's largest experimental fusion facility. Fusion is the process that powers the Sun and the stars:
when light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released.
Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source.
ITER is also a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. Europe is contributing almost half of the costs of its
construction, while the other six Members to this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, theRepublic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA), are contributing equally to the rest. The
ITER Project is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in the south of France.
For more information on the ITER Project, visit: http://www.iter.org/