At the international nuclear fusion reactor Iter in the South of France, at Cadarache, France has begun a key phase of construction. After about ten years of preparation, and the manufacture of the first components of the Tokamak can now be reactor together and mounted together. The official Start of the Assembly work has been started on Tuesday morning with a ceremony at which, among other things, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, EU energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and President of South Korea, Moon Jae as well as other representatives of the seven Iter partners took part. For Germany, Michael Meister, state Secretary in the Federal Ministry of education and research sent, on behalf of Angela Merkel, his message. Due to the Corona-restrictions on the representatives were not on site, but via the video link switched off.

Manfred Lindinger

editor in the Department “nature and science”.

F. A. Z.

The Start of the Assembly was a historic Moment, said Iter Director-General Bernard Bigot. It was a unique project and an example of international cooperation. The hardest part of the work, the mounting, location but still in front of the Team, Bigot.

The ceremony was the first step in the Assembly of the Tokamak fusion reactor. Since July of this year, all the reactor is essential and required parts that were manufactured in Europe, China, India, Japan,Russia, South Korea and the United States are located in France. In the experimental building, where the finished Tokamak is, at the end of may, the first and hardest part – the 1250-ton piece of the ground of the Cryostat to its final Position. The cryostat, a 30-Meter high and wide cylindrical steel vessel, to enclose the whole with a liquid Helium-cooled plant, and the surrounding shield.

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recently have been delivered from South Korea, the first section of the vacuum vessel is attached. Together with a large superconducting magnetic field coils and Parts of the heat shield are all the parts of the first Assembly in Cadarache, said Bigot. The building was like a huge 3D Puzzle that needs to be set in compliance with the schedule now.

The long road to fusion fire

time is of The essence. Because in five years, so there’s the Plan, should Iter be officially completed and soon will go into operation. Then, the scientists could demonstrate that a generation of energy on the sun is by the controlled Fusion of hydrogen isotopes Deuterium and Tritium to Helium is technically feasible.

In the Interior of Iter is to receive for several minutes, the fusion fire is maintained, and at least ten times the originally spent heating capacity of fifty megawatts will be produced. That would be the first Time that it is produced with the nuclear fusion more energy than you have previously put into it.