Image of the week
It's written on the wall
15 Jun 2020
The message is one of collective pride. "We have delivered" reads the large banner that is now affixed to the north wall of the Tokamak Building. Constructing this monumental edifice, whose shape and cladding are emblematic of the ITER Project was the work of close to 1,000 men and women.
The 21-metre-long, 9-metre-high banner weighs 100 kilos and is attached with springs that provide the the necessary flexibility in case of strong winds. Temporary supports had to be welded to the building's steel structure behind the north facade.
Under the responsibility of the European Domestic Agency, Fusion for Energy (F4E), and the joint ITER Organization/F4E Buildings Infrastructure and Power Supplies (BIPS) team, dozens of companies large and small brought together their experience, their creativity, and their dedication to realize this one-of-a-kind construction—the home of the ITER Tokamak, the largest fusion machine ever designed and the first that will generate net energy.
For the Vinci Ferrovial Razel-Bec (VFR) consortium that led the effort, "the banner is a testimony of more than eight years of hard work" that culminated on 16 March, two weeks ahead of the scheduled completion date and despite the stringent constraints that the COVID-19 pandemic already imposed on worksite activity.
In its acknowledgment, the banner forgets none of the 1,000 men and women who had their part in this achievement. Whatever their trade, whatever the country they hailed from, they have contributed to writing history.