ITER NEWSLINE
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28th ITER Council
Progress despite challenging times
28th ITER Council | Progress despite challenging times
The ITER Council meets for two statuatory meetings every year, traditionally in June and November. Its role, as established by the ITER Agreement, is to be responsible "for the promotion, overall direction and supervision of the activities of the ITER Organization in pursuit of its purpose." (Article 6) During its Twenty-Eighth Meeting on 16 and 17 June 2021, the Council evaluated performance reports on construction, manufacturing, and assembly, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Managed from ITER Organization Headquarters, in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France, the videoconference was attended from around the world. Representatives of China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States all logged in at 12:00 p.m. CEST.
Approximately 100 senior representatives and experts from the seven ITER Members and the ITER Organization participated in the two-day meeting, which was chaired by LUO Delong from China.
Project achievements have been numerous and consequential since the ITER Council last met in November 2020. The first ITER magnet has been inserted into the Tokamak assembly pit; eight other completed magnets (seven toroidal field coils and one poloidal field coil) are stored on site; the first central solenoid module is ready for shipment; work has started to create the first vacuum vessel sub-assembly; welding is underway on the last part of the ITER cryostat; and manufacturing abroad and installation and assembly works on site are all progressing at a sustained pace.
Bernard Bigot has been the Director-General of the ITER Organization since March 2015.
However, the effects of some technical challenges and the ongoing pandemic are requiring close monitoring, and will be further assessed after due consideration of all possible mitigation measures to prevent any delays that could impact the schedule for the achievement of First Plasma.
The Council is requesting the ITER Organization and its collaboration partners to take all possible measures to ensure Fusion Power Operation in 2035 as currently planned.
Read the full press release in English and in French.
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