Of Interest archive

After Wendelstein 7-X generated a record plasma in February 2023 (lasting 8 minutes with an energy output of 1.3 gigajoules), the stellarator at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald, Germany, was shut down for a one-year maintenance phase.

W7-X began a new experimental phase on 10 September, after significant improvements and optimizations were made to the device (see the detail here) to improve the availability and reliability of the systems. In addition, the scientific capabilities of all systems were significantly expanded and important new observation instruments were added.

The scientific program ahead should gradually see an increase in performance parameters, specifically higher heating powers. Wendelstein 7-X is the world's largest fusion device of the stellarator type.

See the press release in English or German.

(Photo Jan Hosan, 2021)

Through a newly launched web platform—the European Fusion Technology Marketplace—Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Domestic Agency for ITER, and EUROfusion, a consortium of European fusion laboratories, are inviting companies to discover and benefit from fusion spinoff technologies.

The website offers companies and experts a diverse portfolio of technologies developed by F4E’s industrial partners and EUROfusion laboratories as part of work for international research programmes and projects such as: ITER, Europe's DEMOstration fusion power plant, the joint Europe/Japan JT-60SA tokamak, the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), and the International Fusion Energy Research Center IFERC.

"Our experts work to identify their business potential and to facilitate their commercial use. Our services are offered to all companies looking for new market opportunities. We are here to help entrepreneurs, scientists and business willing to integrate fusion technologies in the development of their products," according to the marketplace website.

See all information here.

Fusion for Energy (F4E) has opened a Call of Expressions of Interest for collaboration with private sector fusion initiatives. Its aim is "to support the growth and success of Europe's private sector and foster innovative collaborations that will drive the future of fusion energy."

Interested private sector fusion initiatives must: 1) be established with the purpose of developing a fusion device or technologies specific to fusion (or have a business unit dedicated to this goal); 2) indicate the areas of interest for collaboration which may be fusion-related technical areas, or non-technical (e.g., supply chain, legal, etc.); 3) and have their centre of interest or main operations in an F4E Member State (currently the 27 EU Member States).

If there is a mutual interest to cooperate, an agreement will be signed to allow collaboration in fields to be defined jointly such as, not limited to: exchange of knowledge, information and experience, expertise in fusion technologies, fusion supply chain, corporate governance, scientific analysis etc. No transfer of funds from F4E is foreseen under the terms of the call.

See the related story on the F4E website.

See the Call for Interest here.

Manufactured by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the fourth and last vacuum vessel sector procured by Korea took to the sea on 24 August. The massive 440-tonne component will travel for approximately one month before reaching the Mediterranean. Due to the situation in the Horn of Africa waters, the ship will take the long way home, rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the African continent and sailing all the way north to the Strait of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean.

Pre-registration ends on 10 September 2024 for the 13th ITER International School, which will be held from 9 to 13 December 2024 in Nagoya hosted by National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), Japan. The theme of the 13th School is "Magnetic Fusion Diagnostics and Data Science."

Diagnostics are key to the achievement of ITER fusion power demonstration goals and they require the application of a wide range of techniques. But diagnostics are not enough to ensure ITER's success; only through advanced analysis of the data they provide will it be possible to guide the experiments towards their fusion power goals. It is timely to address these multidisciplinary areas in the ITER school.

To register, and for all information, open this link.

Fred Mills of The B1M construction channel on YouTube returned to the ITER site this summer to report on ITER after a first video produced in 2022 amassed 4 million views.

In a sleekly produced 30-minute feature he reminds his audience of the potential of nuclear fusion ... and the many challenges. He recounts how the international collaboration got its start in the 1980s, how facility construction began in 2010, and how today, in the context of challenges in assembling the one-million-component machine, the teams are collaborating to solve engineering challenges and deliver solutions.

He calls ITER "the planet's most monumental build." The scale of the ambition, the extent of the engineering, the attention to detail is honestly mind-blowing," he says. "It’s hard to think that the place where I’m standing could one become the birthplace of a new form of energy. This spot could literally see the start of something that could change the world." 

Views have already topped 450,000. See the video on YouTube here.

The Board of Directors of Fusion Power Associates (FPA) has announced its 2024 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Awards. The awards will be presented at Fusion Power Associates 45th Annual Meeting and Symposium "Fusion Energy: Progress, Challenges and Promise," December 2-3, in Washington, DC.

Cami Collins, of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is recognized for her pioneering scientific contributions, including first observation of critical gradient-driven energetic particle transport. The Board also notes her exemplary leadership in advancing U.S. community plans, exceptional record of plasma physics outreach, and strong advocacy for advancing women engagement in fusion research.

Annie Kritcher, of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is recognized for her multi-year leadership of the design activity that led to the achievement of fusion ignition on NIF (National Ignition Facility). The Board noted that, using complex multi-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations, her target designs were used over several years for a set of experiments with a range of target specifications and laser pulse shapes leading to the successes on NIF.

FPA Excellence in Fusion Engineering Awards have been given annually since 1987, in memory of MIT Professor David J. Rose, to recognize persons in the relatively early part of their careers who have shown both technical accomplishment and potential to become exceptionally influential leaders in the fusion field. A list of previous recipients can be found at http://fusionpower.org and click on Awards.

A 440-tonne sector of the ITER vacuum vessel completed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd was transported to the Korean port of Mipo on Friday 23 August. It shipped on 24 August and is expected to reach ITER next month.

This is the fourth and final vacuum vessel sector expected from Korea. Three other sectors arrived respectively in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

The torus-shaped ITER vacuum vessel will be formed from nine vacuum vessel sectors. Five sectors are expected from the European Domestic Agency including one, sector #5, later this year.

The Fusion Industry Association has released its 2024 Global Fusion Industry Report. The report, which surveyed 45 companies, found that the fusion industry has attracted over USD 7.1 billion in investment, with USD 900 million in new funds since last year. Total public funding increased by 57% in the last 12 months to USD 426 million, showing that governments increasingly see public-private partnerships as central to making commercial fusion a reality. It also showed the United States leading commercial fusion, with 25 companies, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and China. Additionally, employment in private fusion firms grew by 34% to over 4,000.

More information is available here.

The ITER Organization has signed an agreement on technical cooperation with TAE Technololgies. 

This private fusion energy company located in California is developing a proprietary compact, linear device called "an advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration" designed to operate with hydrogen-boron fuel. Two subsidiaries—TAE Power Solutions (for a more efficient and resilient power grid) and TAE Life Sciences (novel cancer drugs)—complement its fusion power activities, which have been underway since the company's founding in 1998.

The purpose of the agreement between TAE and ITER is "to promote cooperation and exchange in technical fields of mutual interest." "Together, we will work to advance the development of fusion power and a well-trained workforce," said the company in a post on Facebook.

-- ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi (second from left) meets (left to right) Chief Technology Officer Artem Smirnov, SVP Fusion Science Sergei Putvinski, CEO Michl Binderbauer, and VP R&D Mike Meekins during a recent visit to TAE Headquarters.

The Board of Directors of Fusion Power Associates (FPA) has announced its 2024 Leadership Awards. The awards will be presented at Fusion Power Associates 45th Annual Meeting and Symposium "Fusion Energy: Progress, Challenges and Promise," December 2-3, in Washington, DC.

Ian Chapman (UKAEA, left) is recognized for the broad range of his technical and management skills, including the completion of the JET scientific mission and the expansion of the UKAEA Culham Laboratory's role in establishing a UK national focus on moving more quickly toward fusion power.

Constantin Haefner (Fraunhofer Institut, right) is recognized for his demonstrated leadership in the areas of state-of-the-art laser and optical technology for inertial fusion, high energy density physics and the generation of secondary sources for a range of applications, and the role he is playing in elevating national attention on fusion energy development.

FPA Leadership Awards have been given annually since 1980 to recognize persons who have shown outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion as a commercial power source. A list of previous recipients can be found at http://fusionpower.org and click on Awards.