Sector #3 completed in Europe
The penultimate sector of the ITER vacuum vessel is on its way.
Sector #3, expected on site early next month, is the second-to-last sector required to complete the ITER vacuum vessel.
Europe, through Fusion for Energy (F4E), has been working since 2010 with the AMW consortium to deliver its share of these complex components. It delivered sector #5 in 2024, followed by #4 in 2025 and #9 last month.
When it reaches ITER, a well-oiled assembly line is waiting to turn sector #3 into a "sector module" that can be installed in the tokamak pit—that is, fully equipped with its thermal shield and a pair of toroidal field coils. To help streamline the production line process at ITER, some of the work typically carried out on site—for example, the welding of outer shell "bosses" (small studs that can be used to attach components)—was carried out by the European teams before shipment.
Vacuum vessel assembly is on the project's critical path. Only after all nine sectors have been installed in the tokamak pit can the welding of the torus begin.
