Only two more to go
On 19 December 2024, one year almost to the day after it was delivered, a fourth module was installed on top of the existing central solenoid stack. Standing on its bespoke platform, the massive, tower-like structure being assembled in the ITER Assembly Hall (left) now reaches approximately two-thirds of its final height. Procured by the United States, the central solenoid modules (6 plus one spare) are manufactured by General Atomics near San Diego.
Two more modules need to be stacked and connected to finalize the assembly of the 1,000-tonne superconducting magnet whose role is to induce and sustain a powerful current (15 MA) inside the plasma.
Handling the 2-metre-tall, 110-tonne cylindrical component is a particularly delicate task. Contrary to the vast majority of ITER machine components, which are lifted by way of hooks and attachments, a central solenoid module requires nine powerful wedge pads located at the bottom of a lifting fixture (right), each one exerting a radial force of 220 kN (equivalent to 22 tonne-force) on nine friction pads distributed around the cylinder—a bit like grasping a giant bowl of cereal by exerting pressure from the outside.