ITER : making fusion energy a reality.
Date: 2016-03-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: electrical energy, international cooperation, nuclear energy, nuclear fusion, nuclear reactor, nuclear research, scientific cooperation, technology transfer

ITER Making fusion 
energy a reality

Research and
Innovation

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Cover illustration: © 2014, ITER Organization

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014

ISBN 978-92-79-43935-3 – doi:10.2777/13449 (online)

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Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

FOREWORD

ITER  is  a  major  international  experiment  bringing 
together seven Parties, including the European Union. 
Together, they comprise countries representing 50 % of 
the world’s population and 80 % of its GDP, thus making 
the international collaboration for ITER an unprecedented 
model of international scientific collaboration. Aiming 
at demonstrating the scientific and technical feasibility 
of fusion power, ITER will allow scientists and engineers 
to develop the knowledge and technologies needed for 
the future production of electricity on a large scale.

The European part of this programme, managed by 
the European Commission in the frame of the Euratom 
Treaty, is unique in its style and scale. To make ITER a 
success, European industries, as well as their partners 
in the other six participating countries, have to develop 
and build high-technology components for the main 
reactor, which is being constructed in France.

The impact of the development of ITER on industry 
is far reaching. A typical example is the development 
of technology transfers and innovation from sectors 

such as space to industry. Perhaps more intangible, 
but  nonetheless  just  as  important,  is  the  positive 
impact on international exchange of know-how, on the 
development of human capacity potential through skills 
and high-tech jobs, and securing a strong position for 
Europe on the world stage.

The  following  pages  illustrate  the  benefits  that 
European industry is receiving from their involvement 
in the realisation of the largest energy project in the 
world, ITER.

We are all working towards the same goal: making 
fusion energy a reality!

András Siegler
Director, Energy, Directorate-General 
for Research and Innovation

In the realm 
of nuclear safety, 
no detail is too 
small to overlook

2

‘In November 2012, we achieved a big milestone. 
For the very first time, after more than two years 
of technical discussion with one of the strictest 
nuclear regulators in the world, we obtained 
certification indicating that the risks associated 
with ITER were manageable, and we were given the 
green light to build this machine…’

Carlos Alejaldre, ITER Deputy Director General

‘ITER and ASN 
share a story that 
will probably last 
30 or 40 years. 
Our monitoring started 
before the creation 
of the facility and will 
last until the end of 
the decommissioning 
process.’

Jean-Luc Lachaume, Deputy 
Director General, Autorité de 
Sûreté Nucléaire — ASN

MAKING IT 

SAFE

In a few years, the most complex machine ever built 
will  be  switched  on  in  Saint  Paul-Lez-Durance,  in 
southern France. The machine, called the International 
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), will stand 
100 feet tall and weigh 23 000 tons — more than twice 
the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

Once operational, the giant ITER reactor intends to prove 
that nuclear fusion is viable and that it can provide a lot 
of relatively clean and cheap energy when fossil fuels 
run out.

However, the scope and scale of this experiment has 
never been attempted before, so ITER’s unique status 
comes with a responsibility: ‘make it safe’.

As a nuclear operator, the ITER 
organisation is regularly inspected 
and audited by French nuclear authorities

ITER’s vacuum 
vessel creates 
an environment 
comparable 
to that encountered 
in deep space

4

‘Wallonia — and more specifically Liège — has 
a long tradition of precision engineering. We’ve now 
been working in support of ITER for 3 or 4 years, 
among others things on a cryostat for CEA intended 
for Japan. It is another feather in our cap.’

Jean-Pierre Chisogne, Marketing Manager, AMOS

The ITER cryostat will be one of the 
largest high-vacuum chambers ever built

AMOS — Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems — 
specialises in the design of highly accurate optomechanical 
systems for the space industry and astronomy.

This  Belgian  company  also  handles  the  design, 
development and manufacturing of cryostats.

The  fabrication  of  vacuum  simulators  and  cryostats 
capable of cooling samples down to 4 kelvins demands 
advanced processes.

Few engineering feats can compare in scale with ITER, 
in technical complexity and in ambition. To support ITER, 
a bilateral agreement between the EU and Japan has 
been signed to contribute to the ITER support facility 
JT60SA. Thirty-five countries, representing more than 
half the world’s population, are invested in the project. 
For companies such as AMOS, being involved in one of 
the largest scientific experiments in the world also brings 
promise of international expansion.

High vacuum chamber at AMOS

AMOS: SELLING THE STRENGTHS OF BELGIUMITER / Making fusion energy a realityMillions 
of components 
and pieces will 
have to fit together 
to form the ITER 
machine

6

‘ITER is a world first; it is also an opportunity 
to harness knowledge for the benefit of both 
research laboratories and the European industry. 
It will help us to win new contracts in energy, waste 
treatment and the construction of secured, large-scale 
infrastructures.’

Etienne Fabry, Project Engineering Manager, Airbus DS

AIRBUS Defence and Space has unrivalled 
expertise in the delivery of major space systems, 
such as the ATV cargo vessel for the ISS

The Tokamak is a one-of-a-kind device and one of the most 
complicated machines ever built. Engineers believe it is made 
up of 1 million components.

Components provided by ITER Members as in-kind contributions 
will be assembled on site in pre-determined sequences. It is 
estimated that assembly operations will require 1.5 million 
man hours extending over a period of four years.

Managing complexity is the key to this exceptional project 
and is exactly what AIRBUS Defence and Space is tasked with.

AIRBUS Defence and Space’s technical excellence and vast 
experience extend across all sectors of the space business. 
It  is  responsible  for  the  design  and  production  of  Ariane 
launchers and the ATV cargo vessel used by the International 
Space Station.

Establishing cooperation with ITER stems from the group’s 
desire to take the know-how it has gained in the space industry 
to other sectors, such as renewable and nuclear energy.

AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE: MASTERMINDING ITER’S PUZZLEITER / Making fusion energy a realityManaging ageing 
components 
requires 
a proactive 
approach with 
a focus on safety

‘Knowledge in publicly-funded fusion 
research has yet to be fully exploited. 
This is something the European industry 

should tap into.’

‘With ITER now firmly on the way, we can 
start planning for DEMO, anticipating 
the organisations and skills that will 
be necessary. The goal is to move from 
scientific research to an industry-driven 

programme.’

Alain Chevalier, Business Director, AMEC

8

Firms supplying components and equipment to ITER will 
be able to showcase their products on the world stage. 

As part of its business strategy, AMEC — one of the UK’s 
leading independent nuclear services suppliers with over 
50 years’ experience in the nuclear industry — is entering 
the field of Breeder Blanket development.

This international company is also a prime example of 
a successful industry-academia partnership combining 
industry expertise and innovation.

From  reactor  operations  support  through  to  waste 
management and decommissioning activities, AMEC is 
increasing its young talent programmes for the long-
term benefit of the industry. Enhancing the skills of the 
new generation of fusion scientists and engineers has 
become part of its daily business in the EU.

Decommissioning the older 
generation to launch the new

AMEC: TOWARDS AN INDUSTRY-DRIVEN MARKETITER / Making fusion energy a reality‘CNIM is currently meeting a huge technological 

challenge with the radial plates in terms of industrial 
process and production rate. One radial plate is 

delivered every 4 weeks.’

Jacques Silva-Ribeiro, CNIM Production Manager

‘ ITER is a showcase 
because its goal is 
complex. It is difficult 
to build and poses 
a great challenge.’

Daniel Rossi, CNIM Production 
Director

Machining the 
grooves of the 
radial plates with 
high precision

10

CNIM and SIMIC are the two companies tasked with 
manufacturing the full-size radial plates that will form 
the ‘backbone’ of the magnets needed to keep the plasma 
confined within the ITER vacuum chamber.

CNIM operates from its industrial and technological site 
in La Seyne-sur-Mer, near Toulon in France. The company 
specialises in the design and production of large-scale 
systems able to withstand significant stresses. The radial 
plates that hold the conductor of the Toroidal Field (TF) 
Coils are very complex 9 x 15 metre, D-shaped stainless 
steel structures with grooves machined using pinpoint 
accuracy on both sides along a spiral trajectory.

The properties of the materials used, the quality of the 
welding, the size of the components, the dimensional 
tolerances and the pace of the manufacturing operations 
represent a real challenge from the technological and 
managerial points of view.

For CNIM, the contract is the result of over 4 years’ work 
and investment in new infrastructures.

A brand new 3 000 m² production hall has 
been constructed to produce Europe’s first 
radial plates

CNIM: CONFINING PLASMA IN A GIANT SKELETONITER / Making fusion energy a reality‘Our self-confidence increased. We 
started to promote our work and have 
found new customers mainly in the 
cryogenic sectors. We have signed two 
contracts with the Hefei Institute of 
Plasma Physics in China.’

Karel Dedek, Director of ATEKO

12

Thanks to ITER, 
companies like 
ATEKO have 
the opportunity 
to test prototypes 
in real fusion 
conditions

ATEKO hopes to be able 
to pave the way for DEMO

The company ATEKO, located near Prague, was chosen 
to design and implement the helium cooling system 
for ITER. Working on such a large-scale experiment 
presented  an  opportunity  to  enhance  the  Czech 
Republic’s expertise — thus visibility — in the field 
of nuclear technology and to expand the company’s 
business beyond Europe.

The Czech Republic features among the well-established 
partners working in European fusion research. Home of the 
tokamak COMPASS research facility, the country has been 
involved in a number of experimental projects over the last 
50 years, including ITER.

ATEKO has vast expertise in the engineering and manufacturing 
of  equipment  for  the  chemical,  food  and  refrigeration 
industries.  Scientific  research  into  high-speed  helium 
compressors and turbines started 10 years ago following 
the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) and a 
request from Fusion4Energy.

This new expertise enabled ATEKO to expand its business into 
the cryogenics sector. Helium turbines and helium compressors 
now form about 25 % of ATEKO’s business activities; and this 
percentage is expected to grow in the future.

ATEKO: OPENING UP NEW HORIZONSITER / Making fusion energy a realityRemote 
maintenance 
of the ITER has 
achieved a high 
degree of accuracy 
and completeness

14

‘The main challenge of the ITER 
project was to integrate several of 
our core technologies into a single 
project, i.e. precision mechanical 
design, control engineering 
and vacuum environments. 
We don’t normally combine them 
in a single project.’

Jordi Serrat, Technology Director, TELSTAR

Once ITER is operational, the radiation produced at its 
heart will make any human intervention impossible. 
Maintenance and repair operations will require the 
use of advanced remote handling technologies that 
only a few companies in the world are able to supply.

Engineers at the Spanish company TELSTAR have developed 
an  accurate  remote  handling  prototype  for  inserting  the 
divertor cassettes into the ITER reactor and taking them 
out. This maintenance operation presents a unique set of 
challenges for engineers.

Each of these cassettes weighs around 10 tons, and is nested 
in the lower part of the plasma chamber. Maintenance and 
replacement  of  such  components  require  the  prototype, 
called  the  Cassette  Multi-functional  Mover  (CMM),  to 
show  millimetre-level  accuracy  while  withstanding  huge 
mechanical stresses.

This remote handling technology has achieved 
millimetre-level accuracy

TELSTAR: DRIVING SCIENCE  FURTHERITER / Making fusion energy a reality‘What we have developed for ITER helps 
us to stay one step ahead. We have 
developed a new electronics control 
system, which is very fast and powerful 
and can be applied in other sectors such 
as particle physics, which in addition to 
fusion is one of our main markets.’

Giuseppe Tadia, Power Electronics Manager, OCEM

16

Ion source 
power supplies 
successfully 
tested in Italy

When ITER gets underway, operators will 
be counting on power ... lots of it

OCEM, located in Bologna, Italy, produces high-voltage power supplies dedicated 
to scientific research, the biomedical sector and transportation systems. 
The technology developed for ITER has enabled the company to sharpen its 
technology, strengthen its position on the fusion market and enter new ones.

The company’s first experience of nuclear technology goes back to the 1980s, when it 
started to work on the European Experimental Fusion Reactor, JET. Since then, OCEM 
has gained valuable expertise in the field of fusion.

The company has designed and manufactured ITER’s neutral beam injector power supply 
system, which will produce particles able to heat the plasma up to 150 million °C. Due to 
the high voltage, high temperatures and high currents at stake, this installation required 
stringent requirements that can now be transferred to other sectors.

OCEM developed, among other things, an optic link enabling the insulated transmission 
of analogue signals, as well as new current generators useful for high-power applications 
such as magnet power supplies. These are now being introduced in other fusion projects, 
particle  physics  projects  and  some  industrial  applications,  making  OCEM  simply 
more competitive.

OCEM: BRANCHING OUT INTO NEW MARKETSITER / Making fusion energy a reality18

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