By sea, air and road

Engineering designs, prototypes, production lines ... if we could only see into the innumerable workshops and laboratories currently working toward the production of one—or more than one—part of the ITER machine it would be dizzying. In a short time, components for ITER will begin to arrive on site in a carefully planned order that is closely associated with building and assembly schedules.

An important contract was signed this month that establishes the conditions for the transport of ITER components from suppliers' factories to the ITER site. The Logistics Service Provider (LSP) Framework Contract—which provides for global transport, logistic and insurance services—was signed on 10 February with the European company DAHER by Director-General Osamu Motojima on behalf of the ITER Organization and the seven ITER Members.

 

For the ITER Organization this was a first-of-a-kind joint procurement, carried out in close collaboration with the ITER Members. Within the boundaries of the contract, each Domestic Agency will now contract directly with the LSP provider by means of a Task Order for all of its transport needs.

 

Following a planning phase, during which the Domestic Agencies will furnish detailed information on foreseeable requirements, shipments will begin in 2014. Every aspect related to the transport of ITER loads—including customs management at departure and arrival, logistics, insurance, intermediate storage before delivery, handling, and final unloading at the ITER site—will be handled under the LSP contract. DAHER will work through either a local partner or a local subsidiary in each ITER Member country.

 

The largest ITER loads will arrive by ship from China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States and travel by night over the 104-kilometre ITER Itinerary. Agence Iter France (AIF) will act as the interface between the French authorities (préfecture, gendarmerie) and the Logistic Service Provider for all matters related to the use of ITER Itinerary.

 

"The transport of ITER components from so many different points on the globe and according to schedule is a logistics challenge of major proportions," stated ITER Director-General Motojima on the occasion of the contract signature. "An integrated Logistics Service Provider will be fully qualified to address these challenges and assure the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies of optimized coordination."