JASS Final Report

ITER Candidate Sites

Clarington Site

42° N Latitude

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Cadarache Site
Vandellos Site

Rokkasho SiteJASS Final Report

Introduction & Summarythth

During the period between the 12 September 2002 and 14 December 2002, four distinct Joint Assessment ofSpecific Sites (JASS) meetings have taken place at the four proposed ITER Sites:• Clarington, Canada, 12-15 September 2002
• Rokkasho, Japan, 2-5 October 2002
• Cadarache, EU, 3-6 December 2002
• Vandellos, EU, 11-14 December 2002
This task was carried out in accordance with the provisions set out by the ITER Negotiators1 and resulted in thepreparation of four respective “Findings Reports” (Attachments 1 to 4), as well as this Final Report thatsummarises such findings in the consolidated view of the four respective Chairmen.
The JASS process was carried out on the basis of detailed input documents based in turn on in depth studies
performed by the proponents. JASS ad-hoc group members were offered the opportunity to tour thesurroundings of the proposed sites and meet representatives of the local authorities.

As a main conclusion and despite the differences between the candidate Sites, theJASS assessment ascertained that all four Sites are sound and fully capable torespond to all ITER Site Requirements and Design Assumptions, as approved by theITER Council in its January 2000 Meeting.
As a result of the assessment process, the JASS Ad-Hoc group has concluded that
ITER may be successfully implemented at any of the candidate Sites. Some
differences amongst Sites do however exist. The assessment of some issues led tothe identification of appropriate mitigation measures to be put in place by therespective Hosts.
Hosting ITER is strongly supported by all proponents’ Authorities also on the basis of their acquaintance withnuclear technology. In fact, all Sites are in close proximity to other nuclear facilities, either for research, power
production or reprocessing purposes – ITER could benefit from these existing infrastructures for a variety ofsupport services. Well defined licensing and decommissioning processes were ascertained for all the Sites.
All proponents will make the land available free of charge for the time required without any constraints on its use.
All Sites have adequate land available for construction as well as excellent soil properties. Seismicity being oneof the main design assumptions, led three of the proponents, where records of seismic activities exist, toundertake detailed studies. One of the Sites benefits from absence of seismic activity. Meteorology also
required detailed examination as temperature, precipitation and wind velocity impact on heat sink capabilities
and building design – also some potential savings have been identified as a consequence. In all Sites thegeneral requirements for water and electrical power supplies were addressed in great detail and, withappropriate site adaptations, satisfied in full. Three of the Sites can be directly reached through majorwaterways. All candidate Sites have access to the required industrial workforce.
The Sites have access to differing socio-economic infrastructures and are all located 40-60 km from cities, oneof which is a major cosmopolitan area. Needs were identified to a) define criteria for the use of English as aworking language and b) set up adequate and efficient facilities to welcome staff coming from abroad and help
their rapid insertion into the surrounding communities.
The mitigation to make Sites suitable to receive the ITER installation varies from Site to Site, mainly related totransportation, site preparations, and electricity supply. In the case of Vandellos, Cadarache and Rokkashomura the implementation of these mitigations will be the responsibility of the Host. In the Canadian case, until
2now, no explicit financial commitment from the Federal government has been presented .
Operation, decommissioning, and socio-economic related costs vary from Site to Site. The data obtained duringJASS will be used for the development of the Scenarios in the Negotiating process.

1 The provisions on JASS Organization, point 5 of the Progress Report on JASS, N5 Record of Meeting,Attachment 9, and the provisions set out in NSSG-5 Progress Report to N6 and included in N6 Record ofMeeting, Attachment 5.

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Clarington - Canada
Canada’s proposed Site for ITER is located in Clarington, on the shore of Lake Ontario about 60 km east ofToronto, and adjacent to an operating nuclear generating station (Darlington). The Site is currently licensed fornuclear use as it was previously designated for a second nuclear generating plant, no longer being considered.
The lakeshore portion of the property will be dedicated to the ITER facilities. It is large enough to provide forflexibility during construction as well as space for future expansions of the facilities.
Simple site layout, excellent geo-technical characteristics and the absence of seismic activity are among themajor strengths of Clarington. Also, the Site is adjacent to a cement plant whose docking facility, now
undergoing an extension, will be connected to the Site by a heavy-haul road to allow for easy transfer of material
onto the ITER Site. Ocean-going ships will be able to access the dock 9 months a year. An existing rail spur isavailable to handle rail-shipped equipment. The proposed Site is adjacent to a major 500 KV node of the Ontario
electrical transmission grid, supported by 30,000+ MW of installed generating capacity.
Tritium is produced as a by-product in CANDU reactors and separated and stored at the Tritium Removal
Facility on the adjacent Darlington Site where it will be available to ITER in sufficient quantities for its needs overits planned life cycle. As a consequence, tritium can be favourably transported to the ITER Site without crossing
any public access property.
Canada does not at present have a coordinated national fusion R&D program, although there are individuals andcorporations that were involved in the ITER EDA.
The local community is adjacent to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which is the sixth largest metropolitan areain North America with all the cultural and life-style advantages of a large community, served by extensivetransportation systems. The GTA’s Pearson airport is an international air transportation centre with direct flights
available to all major cities in the world, and served by many international airlines. The socio-economic andmulti-cultural environmental conditions in the Greater Toronto area will facilitate the insertion of people comingfrom overseas and therefore no specific plans were given regarding the establishment of an international school.
As to licensing ITER in Canada, an organisation called the ITER Institute has been incorporated and has started
the formal procedure.
Due to its specific financing model, the Canadian offer required clarifications concerning the cost impact ofseveral infrastructure components and the site preparations, costs which are normally deemed to be borne by
the Host, but which might eventually be borne by the ITER
Parties during the exploitation phase under theproponents’ financial scheme 2.

Figure 1: Aerial photo of theproposed Clarington ITER Site inSouthern Ontario

2

The Canadian Delegation announced to the N-7 meeting that the Government of Canada was reviewing its offer inconcert with the Government of Ontario and with Iter Canada and its member organisations. The CanadianNegotiators anticipated a revised offer by the end of March 2003, allowing the overall workplan and milestones of
the Negotiations to be maintained.

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JASS Final Report

Rokkasho - Japan
Japan’s proposed Site for ITER is situated in Rokkasho, Aomori prefecture, in the northern part of the Honshu
island. Rokkasho is about 45min drive north of Misawa city and is located next to the newly built Nuclear FuelCycle Facility and close to the seashore. A large dock already exists and is connected to the Site via an existing
public road.
Excellent topography, geo-technical characteristics and flexibility in the choice of heat rejection method areamong the strengths of the Site. However, whilst the seismic characteristics of the Site are still under detailed
evaluation, the use of seismic isolation rubber bearings for the Tokamak building may be required to increase
margins. The weather conditions are generally within the design assumptions, however heavy winter snowfall will
require some small structural changes to the buildings.
The proposed Site is reasonably close (30km) to a 500kV substation and a dedicated double-circuit 275 kV
power transmission line will be built for ITER. Flywheel generators may be required as a mitigation measure.
Whilst this system will provide a flexible and secure supply, somewhat larger operational costs will ensue.
Electricity unit cost provided to JASS during the assessment is relatively higher. Its impact on the operationalcosts will be further assessed in the Negotiation process together with other consumable and service costs.
Japan will be able to support the project through its significant domestic fusion programme, on going in several
Universities as well as JAERI.
The socio-economic and cultural environmental conditions in the Rokkasho-mura area can be summarised asfollows. Overseas access to or from Rokkasho-mura requires transfer at Tokyo, possibly requiring an overnightstay. As to education, the Japanese education system would be open to the children of ITER staff, but a working
knowledge of Japanese is necessary. Thus the Aomori Prefecture, under consultation with the government, hasoutlined a proposal for the establishment of an international school, offering English language-based education
up to senior high school level. The region offers a safe and secure living environment with lifestyle options
primarily oriented towards outdoor activities. To offset the limited availability of housing options, the Aomori
Prefecture has outlined the proposal for alternative housing developments. Whilst below Japanese average, thecost of living is expected to be relatively high.
As to licensing ITER in Japan, MEXT is considering development of specific nuclear safety legislation andregulations, to be available by the end of 2003. In particular a code case for ITER structural design is beingconsidered by JSME and ASME. The dismantling strategy envisaged in Japan is that radioactive waste fromITER will be processed and disposed as low-level radioactive waste. The Aomori Prefecture has agreed to theburied disposal of radioactive materials inside the prefecture district, likely in the adjacent waste disposal facility.

Figure 2: Aerial photo of theRokkasho proposed Site, next
to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Facilities, in North Japan

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Cadarache – EUThe Cadarache proposed Site for ITER is situated 40 km north of the city of Aix-en-Provence in the ProvenceAlpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region of France. Construction and operation of ITER could be supported by theadjacent centre of CEA/Cadarache, which is one of the major nuclear research areas in France with 18 nuclear
installations.
The proposed Site is suitable for the generic layout and fulfils all geo-technical ITER requirements. The seismic
characteristics of the Site have been studied in detail and found similar to the generic design assumptions. The
weather conditions are favourable and will permit the use of cooling towers about 20% smaller than in thegeneric design.
Cadarache is located at a road distance of ~100 km from a to-be-constructed roll-on/roll-off dock. A referencetransportation route has been identified from there to the Site. A detailed study has been performed for the
implementation of all necessary road modifications and upgrades to show that transportation by road of the ITER
heavy components would be viable; no significant technical difficulty has been identified. The French authorities
are committed to provide such modifications if ITER is sited at Cadarache. It will not be possible to receive thelargest PF coils (PF 2-5) and their on-site construction will be mandatory.
There is in Europe a proven industrial capability in all areas of the project and a broad-spectrum capability at theregional level for the relevant high-tech services and workforce. Within the European Fusion Programme, theEuratom-CEA Association has a broad base of activity, centred around the Tore Supra superconducting
tokamak for physics in the nearby CEA Cadarache Centre and also on fusion technology. CEA is able to offer alarge choice of services based on CEA know-how and trained personnel. The Cadarache Centre support
facilities will be available right from the beginning of the construction phase.
The PACA region is well known for the variety of lifestyle options. It has a temperate climate and offers an
atmosphere of safety and security in the towns and rural areas in the region around Cadarache. The cost ofliving is above the European average but increasing at a slower rate. French Authorities offered a number ofschooling options, including the option to appeal for the establishment of a “European School” that could include
non-European languages sections.
The licensing of a nuclear installation in France follows standard practice and no new specific administrative
procedures or regulations will have to be developed. If mandated by the Parties, CEA could apply and receive
authorisation pending the establishment of the Organisation, and then transfer the authorisation back to theOrganisation. There are well established regulations concerningNE
the transportation and storage of nuclear waste.
IOS

ITER

Figure3: Aerial photo of the Cadarache
proposed Site, next to the existing
CEA/Cadarache centre in Provence.

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Vandellos - EUThe proposed Vandellos Site is located ~ 46 km (~ 30 min. drive) south of Tarragona and ~134 km (~75 min.
drive) from Barcelona where broad access to international travel can be gained. The Site is adjacent to the two
existing Vandellos Nuclear Power Plants (NPP), one of them currently being dismantled.
The proposed Site is suitable for the generic lay-out and fulfils all geo-technical requirements. The BarcelonaValencia railway line divides and somewhat constrains the Site into two plots measuring approximately 49 ha
and 21 ha (in total 70 ha). The Site proponent also offered the availability of 2 additional parcels of land forconstruction lay-down, if required, each about 25 ha, one north, the other south, both located 2-3 km from theSite. The seismic characteristics of the Site have been studied in detail and found similar to the generic design
assumptions with no structural adaptations required. The weather conditions are particularly favourable.
Seawater cooling is the preferred option for the heat sink at this Site.
The neighbouring 400 kV substation, located at 2 km distance of the Site, is an important node on the Spanishpower grid. Two 400 kV, 600 MVA lines, formerly connecting the Vandellos I NPP to the 400 kV substation, will
be used to provide a secure supply for ITER.
The coastal situation of the proposed ITER Site and the presence of a dedicated roll-on/roll-off dock by theVandellos II NPP are amongst the strengths of this Site. The dock is connected to the Site through a private road(~2km long) that has already been utilized to unload heavy components (up to 450 t) and that has enoughcapability for the transport of the heaviest components with some modifications. The proposed Site allows thepossibility to transport the largest PF coils with some additional modifications to the dock and road.
There is in Europe a proven industrial capability in all areas of the project and a broad-spectrum capability at theregional level for the relevant high tech services and workforce. Within the European Fusion Programme, theEuratom-CIEMAT Association is an active member, whose research activities are primarily oriented towards theStellarator in its Madrid premises. Support from nearby existing facilities will mainly rely on the availability ofoffices and on the Ascó-Vandellos Nuclear Association emergency services in the nearby Vandellos II NPP.
The Catalonia region is well known for the variety of lifestyle options it offers. It has a mild climate and provides
a safe and secure environment for families. There are a variety of cultural attractions throughout the Catalonia
region. The cost of living is below the European average but increasing at a faster rate. There are currently
international schools in Barcelona, and an additional one for ITER is promised in Tarragona, including
capabilities for non-Europeans.
There’s a well developed process for licensing in Spain, and the regulatory body has much experience inlicensing facilities designed in accordance with standards of different countries. CIEMAT could initiate thelicensing procedure, pending the establishment of the Organisation, however the licence can only be granted tothe Organisation. There are well-establishedregulations concerning the transportation and storageof nuclear waste.

Figure 4: Aerial
photo of theVandellos proposed
Site on the Spanish
Mediterranean coast

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