ITER Council meets: notes significant project progress

During its ninth meeting in Cadarache (France), the Council noted a highly productive period of project execution under the ITER Organization’s leadership, including the successful efforts to advance ITER design and construction, contain costs and minimize delays, especially in the face of the Great East Japan earthquake. This ITER Council was chaired by Academician Evgeny Velikhov. Dr. Hideyuki Takatsu of Japan will succeed him as Chairman of the ITER Council on 1 January, 2012. 

CADARACHE, France (18 November 2011). On 17 and 18 November 2011, the ITER Council, the Governing Body of the ITER Organization, convened for its ninth meeting, which brought together representatives from the seven ITER Members: China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States under the chairmanship of Academician Evgeny Velikhov (Russia). 

Council members recognized that under the leadership of the new management since the previous ITER Council held in June 2011, the ITER Organization has taken a number of positive steps in improving management, gaining control of costs and making technical decisions that will enable continued effective project construction. 

Council members were also informed on the positive outcome of the public inquiry, which allowed citizens to express their opinions and to ask questions about the project. On 19 September, the public inquiry commission, on the basis of these contributions, issued a ‘favourable’ opinion on the ITER project. This is a key step towards the full licensing of ITER. The Council commended the development of a strategic management plan to minimize potential delays due, in part, to the earthquake in Japan. In particular, the Council confirmed that the project is within the schedule and cost decided at its extraordinary meeting in July 2010. The ITER Council noted that 60 Procurement Arrangements have been signed, representing 71.5 percent of the total procurement value of ITER construction. Council endorsed the cost strategy proposed by the ITER Organization to stay within the capped budget. 

The Council noted the high quality of the report of the Management Assessor that recognizes the positive impact of the new leadership while giving detailed recommendations to promote further improvements. A report on the implementation of these recommendations by the ITER Organization’s Director-General will be made at the next ITER Council meeting in June 2012 (IC-10). 

Following the completion of the term of Academician Evgeny Velikhov as the ITER Council Chair, Dr. Gyung-Su Lee as the MAC (Management Advisory Committee) Chair and Prof. Wan Yuanxi as the STAC (Science and Technology Advisory Committee) Chair at the end of this calendar year, the Council elected Dr Hideyuki Takatsu, Dr. Ranjay Sharan and Prof. Joaquin Sanchez as their respective successors. Council members thanked the outgoing Chairs for their contribution and welcomed the new Chairs. 

BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS RELEASE 

ITER will be the world's largest experimental fusion facility and is designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power. ITER is also a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. 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 safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source. 

The ITER project is sited at Cadarache in the South of France. Europe will contribute almost half of the costs of its construction, while the other six Members to this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA), will contribute equally to the rest. 

Photos of the Council Meeting can be found at: http://www.iter.org/gallery/com_image_download

Additional photos of ITER can be found at: http://www.iter.org/gallery/com_image_download

Further information at http://www.iter.org/ 

Contact

Michel Claessens

michel.claessens@iter.org +33 6 14 16 41 75