ITER Organization and Principality of Monaco sign Partnership Agreement

Today, ITER Organization and the Principality of Monaco signed a Partnership Agreement that sets up five Postdoctoral Fellowships and the establishment of an annual International Conference on ITER related research. The Agreement was signed by his Excellency, the Minister of the Principality of Monaco, Monsieur Jean Paul Proust and the Director General of the ITER Organization, Kaname Ikeda, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II. 

This Partnership Agreement underlines the Principality of Monaco’s historical interest in nature preservation and its commitment to create, together with the International Fusion Community, a new energy source. “It is important to make the public and the principality’s economic actors become aware of the ITER project and the stakes it holds for our planet’s future”, Monsieur Jean Paul Proust said. 

The Partnership Arrangement includes a contribution by the Principality of Monaco of 5.5 Million Euro for a ten year period, of which 150.000 € are to be dedicated to scientific conferences, and 400.000 € to Postdoctoral Fellowships each year. These Postdoctoral Fellowships shall enable five young scientists from the seven ITER Member countries or from the Principality of Monaco to be trained over two years in research areas related to the ITER project. 

The Partnership Arrangement also foresees the organisation of an annual International Conference on scientific and technical subjects related to the ITER project that will take place in Monaco. In addition, the Principality of Monaco will host scientific meetings related to the ITER project or the ITER Council. 

The arrangement enters into force immediately and will be concluded for a ten year period.

Notes for editors: 
More information on the ITER project and fusion energy can be found on www.iter.org  
For further information and photographs, please contact: 
Neil Calder 
Head of ITER Communications 
CEA Cadarache 
Bat 519  
13108 Saint Paul-lez-Durance  
France 
T: 00 33 (0)4 42 25 6513 
E: neil.calder@iter.org 
 

BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS RELEASE 

ITER will be the world's largest experimental facility to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power. Fusion is the process which powers the sun and the stars. When light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released. Fusion research is aimed at developing a prototype fusion power plant that is safe and reliable, environmentally responsible and economically viable, with abundant and widespread fuel resources. 

The ITER project is sited at Cadarache in the South of France. The construction costs of the facility are estimated at 5 billion Euros over ten years, most of which will be awarded in the form of contracts to industrial companies and fusion research institutions. Europe will contribute roughly half of the costs of its construction, while the other six Parties to this joint international venture (China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA), will contribute equally to the rest. 

Each Party has set up a Domestic Agency to organize and carry out procurement of their in kind contributions to ITER. The Domestic Agencies employ their own staff and have their own budget and will place contracts with suppliers.