Heading for the cold
The D-shaped inner core of a toroidal field coil, manufactured by the European consortium ASG, has left the fabrication facility in La Spezia, Italy. Carefully ensconced in a wooden transport frame, the 110-tonne component is on its way to be cold tested and finally inserted into a massive steel case. These will be the final steps before delivery to ITER.
Approximately 5.5 kilometres of superconductor supplied by the ICAS consortium (Italian firms ENEA, Tratos Cavi and Criotec) went into the fabrication of the first completed winding pack. The seven grooved steel plates (radial plates) that separate conductor layers were supplied by CNIM (France) and SIMIC (Italy). Winding took place at a dedicated ASG Superconductor facility in La Spezia, Italy, where the ASG consortium (ASG plus Iberdrola Ingeneria and Elytt Energy) is responsible for producing ten winding packs.