Outreach

ITER Russia Media Day 2021

On 24 August, the ITER Organization and the Russian Domestic Agency held a virtual press conference for 17 journalists from the leading Russian press agencies and publishers.
The Russian Media Day brought journalists to the ITER Organization virtually, allowing them to learn more about the components of the project and to tour the worksite from a distance.
Moderated by Laban Coblentz, head of ITER Communication, the event started with a presentation by ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot on the history and the importance of the ITER Project and fusion energy as well as updates on progress in construction and assembly of the ITER reactor. The Director-General also drew attention to the importance of the transition to a new source of energy in order to answer global economic and environmental needs—one of the key goals of the ITER Project.

The media tour continued with a welcome address from Anatoly Krasilnikov, ITER Russia head. The greatest achievements of the Russian Domestic Agency now include the supply of all upper ports for the ITER vacuum vessel ahead of schedule, and the near completion of one poloidal field coil. He also emphasized the admirable level of international collaboration in the construction of the world's largest fusion reactor.

ITER Vacuum Vessel Coordinator Engineer, Yuri Utin, presented the upper ports of the vacuum vessel, some of the most important components of the reactor. Since the upper ports are connecting components, their on-time delivery is crucial for the successful assembly of the vacuum vessel and, in turn, the entire reactor.

The event finished with a virtual tour of the ITER worksite, giving participants the chance to see the spectacular ITER facilities with their own eyes.

Within the first 30 hours of the event, 10 articles had been published in the Russian media.