The governing body of the ITER Organization, the ITER Council, met for the twenty-first time on 15 and 16 November 2017 under the chairmanship of Won Namkung (Korea). Representatives from China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States reviewed a detailed set of reports and indicators covering both organizational and technical performance, and concluded that the project remains on track for success. In November 2007—ten years ago exactly—the ITER Council convened for the first time in the history of the ITER Organization. Clearing had just begun on the ITER site, the ITER design was under review, and only 170 people were working in temporary offices, housed by ITER's host and neighbour—the CEA Cadarache research centre. Twenty Council meetings later and a quantum leap forward, the ITER Organization assesses the level of manufacturing completion for First Plasma components and systems at 61 percent and the level of total construction work scope completion through First Plasma at 49 percent.   Since early 2016, the ITER Organization has been controlling and reporting project progress on the basis of high-level milestones. Whether related to construction, manufacturing or deliveries—or rather to programmatic milestones like recruitment and contract signatures—these milestones are underpinned in the schedule by the many thousands of activities that make up progress to First Plasma, with each one representing a firm achievement on the road to ITER operation. Despite the extremely demanding construction and manufacturing schedule and the challenging technical requirements of the ITER Tokamak and support systems, ITER Council members confirmed that the project continues on a path to success, with strengthened management and a strong "One-ITER" team mentality. During the two-day meeting, participants confirmed that the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies have achieved all Council-approved milestones for 2016 and 2017, maintaining strict adherence to the overall project schedule and critical path. Processes for schedule control, risk management and cooperation also continue to improve, with project performance metrics that now measure physical progress in construction, manufacturing, assembly and installation down to the level of each building system and component.  The Council continued its candid discussions acknowledging continuing efforts made by each Member to overcome various challenges, which include ensuring approval of the cost baseline, as concluded at the Nineteenth ITER Council in November 2016 (IC-19¹). Council members reaffirmed their strong belief in the value of the project, and its mission and vision, and resolved to work together to find timely solutions to ensure ITER's success.   Download the full press release in English or French.   ¹ As stated in the press release of IC-19 on 27 November 2016, at that time: "The overall project schedule was approved by all ITER Members, and the overall project cost was approved ad referendum, meaning that it will now fall to each Member to seek approval of project costs through their respective governmental budget processes."

In order to properly install a helium compressor skid on its concrete pad, you need to start with a large push broom to sweep away the dust that inevitably accumulates on the pad's surface. Then come sophisticated laser measurements; a set of steel plates, or shims, of different thicknesses; and, eventually, a powerful telescopic crane to delicately manoeuvre the 20-tonne compressor skid into place.   In the ITER cryoplant, the last of the 18 skids will be safely and precisely installed atop their massive four-metre-high concrete pads this week. Organized in three "compression station trains," each linked to a helium cold box, the compressors will supply the cold boxes with gaseous helium at 21.8 bars and eventually provide the necessary gas flow for the supercritical helium cooling needs of the Tokamak.   The 20-tonne skid comprises the compressor itself, its motor, and different auxiliaries. Perfect positioning is essential to avoid vibrations and difficulties in attaching the interconnections of the "station trains." Positioning the 20-tonne skid—which comprises the compressor itself, its motor, and different auxiliaries—onto the surface of the concrete pad is an operation that demands millimetric precision, as a slight misalignment could result in damaging vibrations and difficulties in attaching the interconnections of the "station trains."   A pad's concrete surface, however, cannot provide the perfect reference for such tight tolerances. Tiny differences in "altitude" or planarity brought to light by laser measurements need to be compensated by the stacking of shims upon which the skid will rest.   And then the final step: once the skid is in place and anchored deep into the pad's slots, a special grouting—part cement, part resin—is poured to federate the pad and the skid into a mechanically homogeneous structure—a monolith of concrete and steel.

Work on the pre-compression rings of the ITER magnet system is progressing in Europe, where work on a full-scale prototype is underway. These technically challenging components—made of composite materials—are designed to push back against the electromagnetic forces of the ITER machine and reduce the fatigue on the structures of the toroidal field magnets. The electromagnetic forces acting on the machine structure during operation will be huge—to the order of several hundred meganewtons (MN). Caused by electromagnetic interaction between the toroidal field coil current and the magnetic field generated by the poloidal field coils, these out-of-plane forces will cause stress to the toroidal field coils and, over time, fatigue.   Six pre-compression rings, installed at the top and bottom of the toroidal field coils, will be used to pull the 18 coils tightly together. Measuring five metres in diameter and weighing approximately three tonnes, the pre-compression rings will reduce the fatigue on the magnet structures caused by electro-magnetic forces—consequently prolonging their operational lifetime. Three other rings will be manufactured as spares.   A lengthy R&D program carried out in Europe identified a glass-fibre/epoxy composite as the best material for withstanding high loads and avoiding the circulation of current; the fiberglass composite rings, consisting of more than a billion miniscule glass fibres, will be glued together by a high-performance epoxy resin.   Work is underway at Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus D&S) in Madrid, Spain, on a full-size prototype—part of advanced qualification activities that precede the start of production. Development of the spare pre-compression rings is taking place at CNIM in Toulon, France, where a small-scale mockup is in production.   Read the full article on the European Domestic Agency website.

In September 2016, the signature of a Cooperation Agreement between the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the ITER Organization paved the way for Australian participation in the ITER Project. In the first Implementing Agreement of the collaboration, scientists from both organizations and the Australian National University will be joining forces to design the Doppler coherence imaging diagnostic and in particular establish the infrastructure necessary to work with ITER. The Doppler coherence imaging diagnostic is part of operational systems and will be used in ITER to deliver detailed images of plasma flows, temperatures, densities, internal fields and structures.   This particular imaging technique is unique in its ability to measure the supersonic plasma flows and extreme temperatures in the ITER plasma boundary region, with a degree of resolution required to address these measurements. Data obtained will allow scientists to validate beryllium migration models, which in turn will provide a predictive capability for divertor performance and control. (Understanding the cycle of material erosion from ITER's inner wall—as well as the transport and deposition of beryllium particles—is one of the key issues for the successful and safe operation of the ITER Tokamak and future devices.)   No project can start without a proper infrastructure. An important part of the first Implementing Agreement, therefore, is to establish a new CAD replication site at ANSTO and to allow the Australian team, working from both Sydney and Canberra, to progress their work in full compliance with ITER Organization rules. So, even though Australia is very far away, the design teams will have almost live access to all the models that they need to do their job. This infrastructure is planned for release in the coming months. Richard Garrett, Senior Advisor at ANSTO, said "We are very excited to move forward with this next step."An Australian team from ANSTO and the Australian National University (ANU), as well as scientists from ITER, will be collaborating to design the Doppler coherence imaging diagnostic and this work will be facilitated by future agreements. In addition, next year, a number of Australian team members will be visiting the ITER Organization to develop the ITER-Australia integrated team and prepare the Concept Design Review for work relating to the Doppler coherence imaging project.

ITER began its existence as an aspiration in the early 1980s, as actors in the fusion community called for the joint machine that would demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy. It acquired tangible reality on 21 November 1985, when President Reagan and Secretary Gorbachev advocated together for "the widest practicable development of international cooperation" in fusion research. Twenty-one years later to the day—on 21 November 2006—the representatives of the ITER Members signed the Agreement that established "the ITER International Fusion Energy Organization for the Joint Implementation of the ITER Project" and the legal framework for the project existed at last. The ratification, or "approval," process by each of the seven Members, each according to its own procedures, was to take another eleven months. On 24 October, the process was complete and the small community that was already at work at the Joint Work Site in Cadarache (France) could rejoice—all 170 of them would soon form the international staff of the ITER Organization.   Last week, as the 21st Council convened at Headquarters and the ITER staff, now more than 800 strong, gathered in the amphitheatre, the ITER community—past and present—celebrated the legal "coming into being" of a project that had been so long in the making.   Heads of Delegations to the ITER Council participated in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the ITER Organization. From left to right, seated: Steve Binkley, Acting Director of the Office of Science, US Department of Energy; Wonho Choi, Director General, Space, Nuclear and Big Science Policy Bureau, Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), Korea; Yoichi Ito, Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan; Ravi Bhushan Grover, Member, Atomic Energy Commission Secretary, Atomic Energy Commission and Head, Institutional Collaborations and Programs Division, Department of Atomic Energy, India; Igor Borovkov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government Executive Office of the Russian Federation; Gerassimos Thomas, Deputy Director-General, Directorate General Energy, European Commission; Chen Linhao, Deputy Director-General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), China; Won Namkung, Chair of the ITER Council; and Bernard Bigot, Director-General of the ITER Organization. As a slideshow flashed in the background—reflecting on the events, major or anecdotal, that had marked the decade—voices from the project's first 10 years rose from the pulpit or from a live connection on the wide screen. Former Council Chairs, members of ITER Organization management, or participants to advisory bodies ... they all voiced their pride at having been part of the prodigious ITER adventure (see their words, below).   And as there can be no anniversary without cake, participants shared a special tokamak-shaped creation, complete with a sugar-and-almond cryostat lid, cream-filled pastry-puff walls, and sugar-paste port openings ...   They said...    Bernard BigotDirector-General, ITER Organization"We are standing on the shoulders of the many others who have made the foundations in decades past [...] The story of ITER is much more than its physical components. All of us here are part of a unique human story, the story of immense struggle ... sometimes challenging, sometimes discouraging, sometimes inspirational, but always moving forward."   Won NamkungCurrent Chair of the ITER Council"What impresses me the most is the striking degree of international cooperation and collaboration we have witnessed—and experienced—in the past 10 years. [...] You have earned our gratitude and our respect. And looking forward, we will continue to support you—for the next 10 years and more. Congratulations!"   Former Deputy Director-General Valery Chuyanov (2007-2011) chose to retire in a village not far from ITER. "Progress is appearing every day," he said, "and I am 100 percent sure of the project's final success." Chris Llewellyn SmithChair of the ITER Council, 2008-2009"As we all know, there have been huge changes in the energy scene in the last decade. However, the case for building ITER remains as strong as ever. We need to know, once and for all, whether—as I believe to be the case—we can control a burning plasma, and hence whether fusion power will be available as an option for the future."   Evgeny VelikhovChair of the ITER Council, 2010-2011 "ITER is a unique project because it is the only one that involves all the leading countries—in fact not only the ITER Members, but also many other countries cooperating with them. Therefore, it is a project that compiles all the works in the field of fusion energy and I would say it is a model for international cooperation."   Hideyuki TakatsuChair of the ITER Council, 2012-2013 "Fusion energy ... is the only one possible candidate on the table today which has the potential to solve both global energy security and global warming issues at the same time in this century. The ITER Project is the central element of world fusion program and each party can take due steps towards fusion energy realization when and only when ITER Project fulfils its programmatic goals."   Bob IottiChair of the ITER Council, 2014-2015 "The early years were a struggle, with success not a given ... and maybe even today success is not a given so we have to keep working on that. But I can tell you, for the last two years or three years the progress that the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies have made has been nothing short of remarkable."   Live from China, Shaoqi Wang, former Deputy Director-General, Department for Administration (2006-2011), stated his hopes that "with the efforts of all ITER Members we can continue to collaborate closely and realize our common goal of fusion energy." Abhijit SenFormer member of the ITER Council Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) and the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA)"For India [participation in the project] has been a very synergistic experience where, apart from contributing materially and technically towards building ITER we have also gained in technical and scientific experience that has enriched our own national fusion program. As a late entrant to fusion research, joining ITER has given us just the right platform to lead from our program, to quickly get into the mainstream of tokamak research and to pull in our industries to develop expertise in some of the most high-tech areas and to compete internationally."   Shaoqi WangFormer Deputy Director-General, Department for Administration (2006-2011) "Today on the 10-year anniversary, the ITER Project has obtained a lot of achievements. I sincerely hope that with the efforts of all ITER Members we can continue to collaborate closely and realize our common goal of fusion energy. Bon anniversaire à ITER Organization!"   Yong-Hwan KimFormer Deputy Director-General, Department for Central Engineering & Plant Support (2006-2011) "When I was at the ITER Organization there was only the Headquarters Building and the poloidal field coils building. I am really glad to see such fantastic progress. I am quite sure that you all can accomplish the project very successfully and give great hope to human beings for future energy."   Rich Hawryluk Former Deputy Director-General, Department for Administration (2011-2013) "It is important to realize that we have a unique opportunity in the world to study a burning plasma. This is what motivated the construction of ITER when we cut the ribbon in 2007 and the ITER Organization started. This unique opportunity is as important today as it was then. We'll be able to learn the science and technology of fusion. [...] I think that we all look forward to the day when we begin First Plasma operation and move on subsequently to deuterium-tritium operation and really study the burning plasmas that ITER and only ITER will provide us for years ahead."   Rem Haange, who was Deputy Director-General and Director, Department for ITER Project from 2011 to 2015, considers that air pollution "is one very good reason to develop fusion." Valery ChuyanovFormer Deputy Director-General, Department for Fusion Science & Technology (2007-2011); former Chief Scientist of the Department of ITER Project (2012) "ITER construction is a very difficult process; you all know this very well. But progress is appearing every day and I am 100 percent sure of the project's final success. I hope to be here myself ... to see the start of ITER operations."   Hiroshi MatsumotoHead of the Office of the Director-General (2007-2010) "We still definitely need stable supply of energy for the baseload. Fusion is still the only ultimate CO2-free baseload supplier which can be supported by most of the people in the world. [...] It will also solve the geopolitical problems arising from uneven distribution of the energy resources in the world. ITER must be a success at any cost."   Rem HAANGE Deputy Director-General and Director, Department for ITER Project (January 2011-March 2015) "The air pollution in the industrially developed as well as in many developing countries has drastically increased and is still on the rise [...] For me this is one very good reason to develop fusion, in order to provide the governments of the world with one alternative, possibly in combination with others. Therefore, fusion must be developed up to industrial standard, to provide the choice."   Click here to view a slideshow on the first 10 years in the life of ITER.

The Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) in the United Kingdom, owned and operated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), is home to two magnetic fusion experiments. The European tokamak JET is currently getting ready for a run of experiments using the high-power fuel mixture of deuterium and tritium (DT), while the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) is nearing the end of an upgrade program (completion 2018) to investigate the super-X divertor—a magnetic configuration that spreads the heat loads at the divertor area of the machine. MAST is about to undergo a baking operation in order to clean the interior surfaces of the vessel and enable the ultra-high vacuum required for operation. In this picture, the machine has been fitted with a thermal jacket, ready for baking at 160 °C. Read more about the operation on the CCFE website.