In September 2012, the Indian Domestic Agency
concluded a contract with Larsen & Toubro for the fabrication of the 3,800-tonne ITER
cryostat—the world's largest steel vacuum chamber (16,000 m³) and a critical part of the ITER machine.
Eight years later, the final segments are ready for shipment to ITER. Twelve segments of the top lid plus one central disk—650 tonnes in all—will leave India to be assembled and welded on site in a dedicated workshop.
Completely surrounding the vacuum vessel and superconducting magnets, the 29 x 29 metre cryostat acts as a thermos, insulating the superconducting magnets at ultra-cold temperature from the outside environment and contributing to structural reinforcement by supporting the mass of the machine and transferring the mechanical loads of the ITER machine to the concrete structure of the tokamak pit.
"The ITER Project and ITER India were very fortunate to have Larsen & Toubro as our partner and the primary contractor for cryostat fabrication," stressed ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot by video connection during the ceremony. "As a company with more than 80 years of experience, we knew that Larsen & Toubro had built nuclear plants, shipping ports, airports, and specialized vessels such as giant ocean tankers and submarines."