The progress on fusion power development in Europe was last independently assessed by the "Airaghi Panel" in 2000. They drew up the following roadmap for fusion development.
Extracted from: "Five Year Assessment Report related to the specific programme: Nuclear energy covering the period 1995-1999" June 2000
Since then a similarly independent panel chaired by Prof. D. King (Chief Scientific Advisor to UK PM Blair), concluded, at the end of 2001, as follows:
- "The ITER project is the essential step towards energy production on a fast track. The engineering design has been finalised, and a modest upgrading could readily be achieved over the life of ITER, by fully exploiting the inherent flexibility of the present ITER design in demonstrating the technical feasibility of fusion power on a 20-30 year timescale. The tests of breeding and energy extraction blanket modules prototyping the full size blanket for DEMO should receive particular attention.
- Future commercial systems are likely to be energy-injected, and not self-sustained. Since the DEMO generation is energy- injected, current thinking is that in a fast track approach, the DEMO and PROTO generations could be combined into a single step that should be designed as a credible prototype for a power-producing fusion reactor, although in itself not fully technically and economically optimised. This would depend strongly on the development of adequate materials, as discussed in 4 below.
- The emphasis in the research work on ITER should be on demonstration of sustained fusion power production and extraction; ITER will serve as an enabling research machine regardless of the design of later commercial reactors. Within the EU fusion programme the fusion Associations should concentrate on accompanying R&D for ITER and plasma physics. Other Europeanfacilities such as stellerators and spherical tokamaks should address possible improvements of concepts and of designs for future reactors.
- The mission of fusion materials science is to provide solutions for a sustainable, environmentally benign and economically attractive energy technology. In addition to the essential information provided by ITER on plasma facing materials an appropriate high-energy, high intensity neutron source such as the International Fusion Material Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is required to test and verify material performance when subjected to extensive neutron irradiation of the type encountered in a fusion reactor. In a fast track approach, the detailed engineering design of IFMIF should be completed during FP6 [2006-2010]. Before that the irradiation test requirements should be examined to identify to which extent relevant studies could be done on Neutron Spallation Sources available now and in the foreseeable future in Europe or elsewhere. In combination with such irradiation experiments, the theoretical modelling of radiation damage and of the structural evolution of materials is instrumental in the understanding and the control of underlying processes. Such material studies could also contribute to progress and innovation in other areas such as aeronautics and space, energy systems and advanced processing. Proper co-ordination with other EU programmes in materials research should be explored.
- From the above results that the following elements are of key importance to achieve a faster track towards fusion energy production:
- Construction of ITER should start as soon as reasonably achievable. As a first step,the present mandate of negotiations with the EU international partners regarding the ways of establishing an ITER Legal Entity should be soon extended in order to address ITER cost sharing and site dependent issues.
- The two major international ventures on fusion energy development, i.e. ITER and IFMIF should proceed in a co-ordinated way, with the realization of ITER starting in parallel with the detailed engineering design of IFMIF.
- Regarding the use of existing fusion devices, mostly devoted to plasma physics, in particular the use of the JET facilities, it is important not to interrupt abruptly their programmes as long as they can efficiently continue to contribute to improve the knowledge base needed for the next steps and develop the necessary experience in operating fusion machines. JET should be phased out progressively according to the schedule of the ITER realization and to the availability of financial resources.
- At the present stage of fusion energy research, industry is mostly involved through the construction of fusion devices and through its participation in the ITER design. From this point of view most of the financial resources required for the construction of ITER should go to industry. The role of industry in the engineering of fusion devices should grow significantly during the realization of ITER, and later of DEMO/PROTO. The direct involvement of the electricity producers, the utilities, should increase progressively along the route to energy production. However, in order to drive the programme most efficiently towards power production it is important to harness the energies of individuals within the industrial communities including engineering companies, component manufacturers and electricity producers to assist in managing all phases of the programme. The existing fora where utilities and industry can bring in their views on fusion energy research should extend further their activities in order to ensure that fusion developments meet industrial requirements for energy production."