Toward construction of ITER

Shimomura, Yasuo

The objective of ITER Project is to investigate burning plasmas, to sustain a fusion power of 500 MW for a long period and to demonstrate technologies essential for a power reactor. A steady progress is being made in the technical preparation toward the start of construction on the basis of developments attained during the Engineering Design Activity (EDA), which was completed in 2001. The ITER Negotiators have developed a draft Joint Implementation Agreement (JIA), ready for completion following the nomination of the Director General of the Project(DG). The final high-level negotiations are focused on siting and the concluding details of cost sharing. The EU, with Cadarache, and Japan, with Rokkasho, have both promised large contributions to the project to strongly support their construction site proposals. Large contributions to a broader collaboration among the Parties are also proposed by them. This covers complementary activities to help accelerate fusion development towards a viable power source, and may allow the Participants to reach a conclusion on ITER siting.