Building ITER
Halfway to First Plasma
11 Dec 2017
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ITER Communication
It's been a long road and we haven't reached our destination yet. But on its way to operation, ITER has just passed a significant milestone: according to the stringent metrics that measure project performance, 50 percent of the "total construction work scope through First Plasma" is now complete.
This view of "Planet ITER" shows a worksite teeming with activity. Close to 53% of construction activities on site and manufacturing activities in the ITER Members for components and systems needed for First Plasma have been completed.
The performance metrics used in ITER assign a relative weight to every activity category within the project. Design, for instance, accounts for 24 percent; buildings construction and manufacturing for 48 percent; assembly and installation for 20 percent.
After having compounded the percentage of completion of each category, the metrics produce a figure for the totality of the work scope through the launch of operations ("First Plasma"). Design, which accounts for approximately one-fourth of the scope, is now close to 95 percent complete; manufacturing and building, which represents almost half of the total activities is close to 53 percent complete. Do a little math and the result is clear: in terms of activities that need to be completed, ITER is now halfway to its first operational event.
The passing of this milestone reflects "the collective contribution and commitment of ITER's seven Members," writes Director-General Bernard Bigot in a top-level communication to officials in the governments of the participating nations.
The reaction of the world media to the passing of this highly symbolic milestone was unprecedented: close to 600 publications, from a total of 41 countries, hailed the accomplishment. Global news agencies, newspapers and magazines (from the Guardian in the UK to Times of India), radio stations in the Czech Republic and Germany, and countless web sites in the United States, India, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines or Australia ... all stressed the importance of what is at stake in ITER.
See a selection of articles here.
Read the Statement sent by the Director-General to all ITER Members (in English or in French).
Read the Statement sent by the Director-General to all ITER Members (in English or in French).