The United States has delivered the final component critical to the completion of the world’s largest nuclear fusion device: the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
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ITER is a joint international effort of more than 30 countries to build the world’s most advanced nuclear fusion reactor in the south of France. Participating nations include the United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Russia, and all 27 members of the European Union.
With the delivery of the 60-foot-tall superconducting magnet, the central solenoid, the team of international engineers and scientists can now begin assembling the world’s most powerful magnet.
“It is like the bottle in a bottle of wine: of course the wine is maybe more important than the bottle, but you need the bottle in order to put the wine inside,” ITER’S director general, Pietro Barabaschi, said about the missing component.
The central solenoid comprises more than 9,000 individual parts and six independent magnetic modules, each weighing circa 267,000 pounds. The 59-foot-tall pulsed magnet is supported by an exoskeleton, or “invisible cage,” that surrounds the solenoid at the center of the machine. The giant magnet holds the plasma within the reactor and must endure the extreme forces generated during fusion.
Eight American companies across six states collaborated to build the device. Superbolt of Pennsylvania played a critical role in developing the components necessary to maintain the system’s structural integrity under extreme conditions, such as extremely high temperatures.
The solenoid was initially scheduled for completion in 2021; however, the project encountered significant setbacks, including manufacturing delays prompted by COVID-19 and issues related to faulty shipping components. However, Barabaschi notes that the “crisis” is over, and construction is advancing at an unprecedented pace.
Completing the magnet marks a giant step forward in advancing large-scale, carbon-free nuclear energy. The proof-of-concept experiment is expected to generate 500 megawatts (MW) of fusion power from an initial input of 50 MW of plasma heating power, a ten-fold energy return. If successful, the reactor is expected to showcase the feasibility of commercial-scale fusion power based on sustained, net-positive plasma reactions (Plasma is the supercharged, electrically active gas used in fusion).
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The ITER project is just one of many recent developments in the world of nuclear fusion. In December 2023, the Department of Energy announced $46 million to advance commercial fusion energy development. Last summer, new public-private partnerships were announced as part of a broader DOE fusion energy strategy. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the UK is spearheading a world-leading fusion project dubbed STEP. The prototype fusion power plant is expected to be up and running by 2040, with the UK government pledging $410 million to the public-private partnership. According to the Fusion Industry Association, there are 45 private fusion companies investing in commercial operation, 25 being in the U.S.
According to Reuters, the ITER project is set to enter its start-up phase in 2033, with the fusion reactor expected to be fully functional by 2040. With the central solenoid in place, the world moves one step closer to realizing the long-time goal of clean, abundant fusion energy.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
