In January 2023, ITER carried out the most delicate handling operation it had ever performed: the removal of vacuum vessel sector module #6, which had been installed in the tokamak pit two years previously. The extraction and subsequent disassembly of this giant component, a modular assembly as tall as a five-storey building and as heavy as three fully loaded jumbo jets, was the consequence of non-conformities identified in two of its sub-components: dimensional deviations on the sector’s interfacing surfaces (the “bevels”) and through-wall cracks in thermal shield cooling pipes which needed to be repaired outside the tokamak pit. The four-day-long “reverse lift,” followed by a painstaking disassembly process that lasted approximately six months, provided ITER with a treasure trove of experience. The abundance of lessons learned will eventually divide by a factor two and a half to three the assembly time required for each of the nine modules of the ITER vacuum vessel. Assembling sector module #6 was a first-of-a-kind operation involving first-of-a-kind components¹. And so too was the disassembly process once the module had been extracted from the tokamak pit and placed inside one of the sector sub-assembly tools. “We learned a tremendous lot throughout both operations, especially when we began disassembling the module,” says Sergio Orlandi, head of ITER’s Construction Project. “In fact, disassembly is the best method to improve assembly procedures and generate more robust processes.” The lessons learned extend well beyond the components themselves and are not exclusively technical. “There was a lot to be desired for instance in overhead crane performance—the real bottleneck of sector module assembly,” according to Orlandi. “We invested a lot of money in maintenance, rationalized the tool’s management, replaced faulty sensors and improved the overall performance of the instrumentation and control systems.” When assembling sector module #6 the first time, days were spent (Orlandi says “wasted”) on the step-by-step approval procedures of technical documents such as the engineering and construction work packages that are transmitted to the contractors. This time, a new consortium (CNPE²) is in charge and a different, more efficient approach has been implemented for present and future assembly operations. “Now the documents are ready at the moment we sign the contract,” says Orlandi. “The work scope is clearly defined and comes with a firm price—that is a major difference. As assembly progresses, we only need the approval of the company that certifies nuclear conformity (called an Agreed Notified Body3 in France). That’s an important change-generating value. We are cutting down on dead time to be more efficient and improve quality.” Assembly operations on sector module #7 began in September 2024 and should be completed in the first quarter of 2025—a seven-and-a-half month process compared to the 18 months spent on the initial assembly of sector module #6. Another area where time-saving measures have been implemented is metrology. Metrology is used to verify the as-built configuration of a component as well as the alignment of interfacing elements, data that is then used as input in deciding the reverse engineering of shims that fit into the gaps of two adjacent surfaces. “Metrology was also taking a lot of time: surveys were implemented by different companies under different responsibility levels and the results were not always aligned. Here too we have rationalized the approach so that metrology is now done by the ITER Organization exclusively. We have acquired a much better understanding and command of the global complexity and the input data necessary for engineering applications.” Not all gains, however, are concrete and quantifiable—“spirit” has also been key to the technical, administrative and organizational improvements that have been achieved. “The teams are determined,” says Orlandi. “They are working three shifts and will not even stop for the Christmas recess. The impact of motivation on work quality is undeniable.” The head of the Construction Project is convinced that the new methods and procedures, the improved organization, the dependability and performance of the upgraded tools and, above all, collective determination will allow the teams to complete the ongoing assembly of sector module #7 in the first quarter 2025—a seven-and-a-half month process compared to the 18 months spent on the initial assembly of sector module #6. â€œWe aim to do even better for the re-assembly of sector module #6, which we plan to achieve in six months.” Sector module #6 is presently in the last stages of repair, with one side already completed and the other to be finalized in the coming days.  Every module assembly will now have to comply to Orlandí's challenging six-month objective. “We have a rigid and very challenging time schedule,” he concludes, “and the stakes are very high.” ¹A sector module is made up of one vacuum vessel sector and corresponding thermal shield panels, plus two toroidal field coils. Nine 40-degree modules, once assembled and welded together, form the doughnut-shaped plasma chamber. ²The CNPE Consortium (China Nuclear Power Engineering; China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Ltd.; Southwestern Institute of Physics; Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences ASIPP; and Framatome) is responsible for sector module sub-assembly (assembly of the vacuum vessel sectors with toroidal field coils and vacuum vessel thermal shielding). In partnership with SIMIC S.p.A., CNPE is also executing the contract for assembly in pit works for 9 sector modules (aligning and using intercoil structures to connect the sector modules). ³An Agreed Notified Body (ANB) is a company authorized by the French Nuclear Regulator ASN to assess the conformity of components in the pressure equipment category (ESPN).

In November 2008, Kijung Jung, head of the Korean Domestic Agency, signed the Procurement Arrangement for two vacuum vessel sectors for the ITER tokamak. Later, it would take on another two sectors under direct ITER Organization contract through a Delegation Agreement. Sixteen years and a formidable industrial venture later, Kijung stood in the night, smiling, next to a powerful transport trailer warming its engines before taking to the road. On the trailer platform towered what looked like an oversize cabin—the transport container for the fourth and last vacuum vessel sector procured by Korea. The four Korean vacuum vessel sectors were manufactured by Hyundai Heavy Industries at the company's giant shipyard in Ulsan, on the eastern coast of the peninsula. Established 50 years ago, the yard puts out more than one hundred large ships per year (tankers, container ships, etc.) and accounts for 15 percent of the world's shipbuilding capacity. This experience, combined with the know-how acquired in the manufacturing of the core components of the KSTAR tokamak in the early 2000s, enabled the Korean company to rise to the unique challenge of a first-of-a-kind, extremely demanding piece of high technology. It takes a large team of specialists to ensure that the precious component will be safely delivered to ITER. Head of the Korean Domestic Agency Kijung Jung, who signed the procurement arrangement in November 2008, is standing in the centre of the group. Work on the first of the four massive components began in October 2012 with high-pressure water jet cutting to shape 2 x 6 metre, 60-millimetre-thick steel plates. Press forming followed, then heat treatment to release the tension inside the metal, machining, welding, drilling (hundreds of holes, at 11 hours of drilling per hole!) and eventually assembling and welding the four segments and set of ports that form a finalized vacuum vessel sector. A first sector (#6) came off the production line in April 2020 and was delivered to ITER the following August. The last sector (#1) took to the sea on 24 August 2024 and, after rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the African continent and sailing all the way north to the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean, passed through the ITER gates last Friday 8 November. And a smiling Kijung Jung was there to greet it.

At the inaugural ministerial meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group (WFEG) on 6 November in Rome, participants agreed that bringing fusion to commercialization will require cross-border and cross-sector collaboration. Hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Italy, the event assembled the representatives of IAEA member countries as well as private sector actors, international organizations—including ITER—and non-governmental organizations. “We share a common goal: to hasten the pathway toward the deployment of nuclear fusion as a reliable source of power,” stated ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi in his remarks. “It is our commitment to this assembly of global leaders to support the IAEA’s vision of driving multi-sector collaboration, and attention on the policies and frameworks needed for fusion.” The World Fusion Energy Group was launched by the IAEA a year ago with the idea of bringing together public and private sectors, industry, academia and civil society to form a cohesive global fusion community. The group seeks to act as a catalyst for fusion energy commercialization by fostering international collaboration through dialogue and planning, identifying technology and engineering gaps and developing solutions, promoting discussion on effective fusion regulation, and raising public awareness and engagement. Discussions in Rome focused on three main topics: the status of fusion energy research and initiatives, global collaboration and public-private partnerships, and issues around creating the specialized workforce and supply chain that will be necessary to sustain fusion commercialization.  ITER Director-General Barabaschi and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation on fusion, replacing an earlier agreement that had expired. Since the early conceptual and engineering design phases for the ITER project, the IAEA and ITER have cooperated closely. “The strong attendance at today’s meeting clearly demonstrates the growing optimism about the immense potential of fusion energy as a long-term clean energy solution,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “Until recently, fusion energy had been a distant dream, but now with burgeoning private sector involvement and major technical breakthroughs, it seems fusion's realization is now within reach.”  The IAEA released two new publications during the meeting that highlight the momentum underway—the World Fusion Outlook 2024 and Fusion Key Elements. In a panel called “Fusion Energy: State of Play,” Pietro Barabaschi repeated a pledge to support private sector fusion initiatives by sharing technical expertise and experience. In May 2024, ITER had organized a Private Sector Fusion Workshop for the first time; since then, an organized program for knowledge transfer has been launched (see a more detailed description in next week’s ITER Newsline). On the sidelines of the World Fusion Energy Group meeting, Director-General Barabaschi and Director General Grossi signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, strengthening cooperation on fusion. The agreement promotes knowledge exchange, education and training, and global outreach to advance fusion energy, expanding a long history of cooperation between the two organizations.  See a press release in English or watch the press conference that followed the event.

With 2024 on track to be the warmest year on record, the world climate summit opened on 11 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, with urgent calls for action to mitigate the effect of climate change.  The president of the 29th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP29), Mukhtar Babayev—Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources—opened the summit with chilling words. “We are on the road to ruin. And these are not future problems; climate change is already here, from the flooded towns in Spain to forest fires in Australia, from rising oceans in the Pacific to barren plains in East Africa. But we have the power to make a difference, to act and deliver. History will judge us!” Against this background, more than 50,000 people—government officials; representatives from international organizations, NGOs, and companies; and members of the public—are gathering in Baku to agree on actions to address the climate crisis. This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference will focus on securing a new goal on climate finance. As fusion energy is increasingly recognized as a potentially game-changing contribution to mitigating climate change, it is only logical that the ITER Organization be represented. In addition to a constant presence at the ITER stand, over the coming two weeks ITER representatives will join the discussion and present the benefits of fusion energy for the world. Two events are also planned this week at the ITER booth in the Green Zone (#B12), moderated by ITER Deputy Director-General for Corporate Delong Luo. The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change opened in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 11 November. More than 50,000 people are expected over the two-week event (11-22 November 2024). The events are: “International Cooperation: A Tool to Speed Up Commercial Fusion Deployment”  Thursday 14 November 2024, 16:00 local time Developing fusion technologies is both time and resource-intensive, making international cooperation and artificial intelligence (AI) crucial to accelerating progress. Testing facilities that mimic fusion environments are advancing the technological readiness levels (TRLs) of fusion systems and components, while proper data categorization and storage are essential for maximizing AI’s potential. In this session, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) will discuss two examples of international cooperation: the IFMIF-DONES facility (to test materials under fusion-relevant conditions) and the International Database Project led by CATF. Speakers: Sehila Gonzalez, Global Director Fusion Energy, CATF Jose Aguilar, PMO Leader, Institutional Relations, Industry Liaison, Communication, IFMIF-DONES Andrew Smith, American Nuclear Society  “Fusion 3.0: How AI and High-Performance Cloud Computing Can Accelerate Fusion Development” Friday 15 November 2024, 11:30 local time Join the Clean Air Task Force for an expert discussion on fusion’s potential to deliver a transformative, zero-emission energy source for the tech industry. Fusion is moving closer to commercial viability, offering the potential to integrate a sustainable, zero-emission, and reliable new energy source into the energy mix to aid in industrial decarbonization. Rapid advancements in enabling technologies are driving this progress, with developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance cloud computing providing resources that were unimaginable just a few years ago. In this panel, experts will analyze the symbiotic relationship between AI, high-performance computing and fusion, exploring broader implications for the tech industry and the energy transition. Speakers: Sehila Gonzalez, Global Director Fusion Energy, CATF Erik Fernandez, General Manager, INEUSTAR  Lucio Milanese, CEO, Proxima Fusion  Jake Oster, Director, Energy and Environment Policy, Amazon Web Services

It is a grey November morning in Berlin as the taxi passes the Brandenburg Gate. Heavy construction works are underway all around the emblematic monument, and on the boulevard Unter den Linden, as the German capital prepares to commemorate both one of the darkest and one of the brightest moments in its history. Fifty-one years after horrific Kristallnacht anti-semitic pograms in 1938, the wall that had divided East from West Berlin fell on 9 November 1989.  Now, every year since 2009, November in Berlin is a time for asking “Which are the next walls to fall?” The Falling Walls Science Summit brings together global science leaders, business pioneers, and public sector visionaries “to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and shape the future of the international innovation system—creating meaningful impact for humanity.” For ITER, the Summit in Berlin on 7 to 9 November was the second time on stage. Already at the first edition in 2009, former ITER Principal Deputy Director-General Norbert Holtkamp had introduced the ITER project, its goals and its genesis during the Cold War as a project promoting fusion energy for peaceful purposes. Last Friday, Holtkamp took to the moderator’s chair to discuss which walls remain to fall to bring fusion energy to the industrial stage. His guests: ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi; Kimberly Budil, Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; and Constantin Häfner, Managing Director at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology. “Developing nuclear fusion is a mission for mankind,” stressed Holtkamp. “Nuclear fusion could transform energy production, ensuring security and driving economic growth while supporting sustainability for future generations.”  Recent years have indeed seen remarkable progress for fusion technology, both in private and public R&D projects. But completely breaking down the walls to fusion commercialization will take more, the panel concluded. Technological, funding and human resource challenges remain. “At the end of the day we have to admit that it will take time,” said Häfner. “There is still a lot to do.”

Fourteen years after the start of ITER project construction, the buildings of the scientific installation are nearly complete—except for the Hot Cell Facility, whose construction is not yet underway. Equipment installation is well advanced and a number of plants are operational. ITER's drone videographer spent a week on site in October 2024, filming some of the most unique and unexpected areas. The result? A five-minute video of ITER construction progress and a new series of aerial photos. See the latest drone video here (select Drone videos in the dropdown list). See the latest aerial photos here.