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

ITER Council endorses updated project schedule to Deuterium-Tritium Operation
ST PAUL-LEZ-DURANCE, France (17 November 2016) – The ITER Council has endorsed an
updated schedule for the ITER Project through First Plasma and to Deuterium-Tritium
Operation. Building on renewed confidence achieved through the past 18 months of sustained
strong performance in construction and manufacturing, the updated 2016-2035 schedulereflects the consensus and integrated efforts of the ITER Organization and the seven Domestic
Agencies.
At its Nineteenth Meeting on 16 and 17 November 2016, the ITER Council reviewed the complete
updated project schedule through First Plasma (2025) and to Deuterium-Tritium Operation (2035) as
proposed by the ITER Organization. The overall project schedule was approved by all ITER Members,
and the overall project cost was approved ad referendum, meaning that it will now fall to each Member toseek approval of project costs through respective governmental budget processes.
The Council concluded that: Project construction and manufacturing have sustained a rapid pace for the past 18 months,
providing tangible evidence of full adherence to commitments. The successful completion todate of all 19 project milestones for 2016, on time and on budget, is a positive indicator of thecollective capacity of the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies to continue to deliveron the updated Schedule.
 The staged approach as selected in the updated schedule after First Plasma increases confidence
and minimizes risk by focusing on completing ITER in stages and carrying out fusion power
experiments in between each stage. This approach is the best way forward in alignment with thepriorities and constraints of all ITER Members.
 The continued evidence of effective decision-making, deep understanding and prompt
mitigation of risks, and rigorous adherence to standards of quality, safety and schedulecommitments provide a strong basis for confidence that the project will maintain its current
positive momentum.
The Council approved new measures to enhance the effectiveness of ITER governance by its oversightbodies, and reappointed the Chairs of the ITER Council and its subsidiary committees for a second
term of one year.
Given the rapid pace of ITER Project progress, the ITER Council said it would take advantage of theincreasing opportunities to engage with the scientific and industrial communities, in both national andinternational forums, including at the upcoming ITER Business Forum in Avignon in March 2017. TheCouncil encouraged the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies to also take advantage of theseopportunities.
The Council commended the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies both for the successful
development of the updated schedule and for the continuing strong performance in construction andmanufacturing, on schedule and on budget.

SITE PROGRESS: IN PHOTOS

The ITER Assembly Hall (December 2015/November 2016)Tokamak Complex and Assembly Hall (April 2016/October 2016)

Cryoplant Building (July 2016/October 2016)
Page 2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. TheITER Project is under construction in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in the south of France.
To see a gallery of pictures from the ITER Council meeting, follow this link.
For more information on the ITER Project, visit: http://www.iter.org/Page 3