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

20th ITER Council meeting recognizes strong project progress in line with the 2016 baseline
ST PAUL-LEZ-DURANCE, France (22 June 2017) – Rapid onsite construction progress andreports of milestones successfully achieved in delivering components from Members’
manufacturing centres worldwide were two core indicators for the ITER Council to determinethat the ITER Project remains on track for success, with full awareness that many challenges
remain before completion of construction. Council Members reaffirmed their jointcommitment to the mission and vision of the Project.
At its Twentieth Meeting on 21 and 22 June 2017, the ITER Council reviewed a detailed set of reports
and indicators demonstrating that, while working to an extremely demanding schedule and challenging
technical requirements, the ITER Project continues its strong performance, and remains on schedule
for First Plasma 2025.
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Project milestones: Since 1 January 2016, 22 project Council-approved milestones have beenachieved, maintaining strict adherence to the overall project schedule and critical path. For twomilestones that have shown a small amount of slippage, mitigation measures have been put inplace to recover and maintain the First Plasma schedule.
Risk management: The ITER Council endorsed the recently received report of the In-depth
Independent Review Panel on Risk Management. The Council underscored the significant
progress made in this area by the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies over the past year
and requested the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies to follow the report
recommendations for further improvement. Project-wide improvements to risk management
practices are being employed to collectively address anticipated challenges in critical path areas
such as Tokamak Building construction, vacuum vessel sector manufacturing, and fabrication ofin-wall shielding.
Organizational reform: The reforms proposed in the Director General’s Action Plan of March
2015 are essentially complete. Substantial gains have been made in effective, efficient decisionmaking, cost-containment, systems engineering, adherence to project commitments, and otheraspects critical to success. The promotion of a nuclear project culture requires commitment tocontinuous learning and improvement; therefore rigorous assessments are an ongoing feature ofthe project.
ITER Member joint commitment: The Council held candid discussions acknowledging thechallenges—whether technological, political, or financial—that some Member countries arefacing. Council Members reaffirmed their strong belief in the near-term and long-term value ofthe project, and their joint commitment to the ITER mission and vision. The Council resolved
to work together to find solutions that honour this commitment and that will continue tosupport ITER’s success. The Council welcomed the European Commission’s recent
Communication regarding Euratom’s participation in ITER.

Reflecting on the recent strong project performance, ITER Council Chair Professor Won Namkung
acknowledged the challenges inherent in ITER’s success. “The construction of a full-scale tokamak
capable of demonstrating a burning plasma requires overcoming monumental complexities.

Multinational collaboration is essential for success, but naturally introduces further complexities,
requiring exceptional management and teamwork. The Council congratulates the entire ITER team—from the Director-General to every staff member, contractor, and supplier, globally—on thecommitment to effective collaboration that has put the project on the path to success. The Council willcontinue to closely monitor project performance, and to provide the support needed to maintain thispace of achievement.”
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 2