ITER

ITER (originally an acronym for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, and also meaning "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering project designed to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power. The facility is under construction near the Cadarache research center in southern France. ITER has been under construction since 2013. It is expected to achieve first plasma in 2033–2034, at which point it will be the world's largest fusion reactor, with a plasma volume about six times that of Japan's JT-60SA, previously the largest tokamak. The long-term goal of fusion research is to generate electricity; ITER's stated purpose is scientific research, and technological demonstration of a large fusion reactor, without electricity generation. ITER's goals include to achieve fusion energy gain factors (Q, the ratio of thermal output power as thermal power absorbed by the plasma) of Q = 10 momentarily and Q = 5 at steady state; to develop fusion power technologies including superconducting magnets, cryogenics, heating, control and diagnostics systems, and remote handling; to study burning plasma; to test tritium breeding; and to demonstrate the safety of a fusion plant. ITER is funded and operated by seven member parties: China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. In the immediate aftermath of Brexit, the United Kingdom continued to participate in ITER through the EU's Fusion for Energy (F4E) program until September 2023. Switzerland participated through Euratom and F4E until 2021, though it is poised to rejoin in 2026 following subsequent negotiations with the EU. ITER also has cooperation agreements with Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan and Thailand. Construction of the ITER complex in France started in 2013, and assembly of the tokamak began in 2020. The initial budget was close to €6 billion, but the total price of construction...