• Jobs 0
  • Tenders 0
  • Visits
  • FAQs
  • Contact us
  • ITER directory
  • Subscribe

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Your email address will only be used for the purpose of sending you the ITER Organization publication(s) that you have requested. ITER Organization will not transfer your email address or other personal data to any other party or use it for commercial purposes.

    If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe option at the bottom of an email you've received from ITER Organization. modification test 

    For more information, see our Privacy policy.

    Select your newsletters:

  • Donate
Shift operation managers

Ready for anything

3 Feb 2025 - Adrien Deydier, Commissioning Coordinator

Shift operation managers at ITER work around the clock to ensure that operational areas of the plant are functioning normally and to intervene in the case of off-normal events. Last year, due to an increase in plant system activity on site, the first duty rotation was established.  

The 12 shift operation managers are pictured in the temporary main control room (T-MCR) in ITER Headquarters.

As equipment installation activities progress at ITER, and more parts of the plant reach threshold milestones for testing, commissioning and operation, the need for coordination has increased. Enter the shift operation managers—whose 24/7 availability enables work to move forward in operational areas and timely response in the case of off-normal events. 

Twelve ITER Organization staff members with different technical backgrounds, and from different units, have been assigned to this duty and trained. The main mission of a shift operation manager is to conduct the daily coordination of activities within operational areas. Managing near-term schedules to resolve conflicting requests, issuing permits to work, and authorizing the execution of operating procedures are all part of their responsibility; they can also intervene in exceptional situations, authorizing the isolation (shutdown) of equipment for safe site intervention, or intervening as the primary responsible person from the temporary main control room or on-call in response to off-normal events.

The year 2024 was the first year of the shift operation manager duty rotation, with constant coverage for the project. It was a period of significant milestones and achievements, including the first production of liquid helium in the cryoplant, the completion of commissioning of the reactive power compensation system, and the beginning of global coordination across the entire site for plant systems under commissioning and in temporary operation (buildings, steady-state electrical distribution, cooling water, liquid and gas services, treatment of effluents, cryogenics) with a strong focus on safety, efficiency, and technical excellence. 

These accomplishments are a testament to the commitment and expertise of everyone involved. Continued success and collaboration in the years to come will pave the way to the future tokamak commissioning and operation.

Return to newsline