The final cryopump for ITER has been successfully manufactured, factory acceptance tested, and delivered to the ITER site. All eight torus and cryostat cryopumps are now on site.  ITER’s Robert Pearce, who has been involved with engineering cryopumps for fusion for the past 34 years, called the achievement “a major milestone for the project” and the result of years of dedication and effective collaboration between the ITER Organization, the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy (F4E), and European contractors Research Instruments and Alsymex. “This significant accomplishment showcases the dedication and expertise of all those involved.”The cryopumps play a crucial role in ITER’s vacuum system, ensuring that the ultra-high vacuum conditions necessary for plasma confinement are maintained. These sophisticated components operate at cryogenic temperatures to capture gas molecules, allowing for the efficient removal of impurities and the creation of the optimal environment for fusion reactions. The 800-millimetre-in-diameter all-metal valve at the front of the cryopumps allows them to operate in sequence together allowing continuous fusion operations. For such valves to operate successfully requires them to be manufactured to the very highest standards, which includes precision engineering, rigorous testing, and strict quality control.  Demonstration at Research Instruments of the eighth cryopump’s all-metal valve. Amidst the gleaming steel and cryogenic brilliance of an ITER cryopump lies an unsung hero—the humble coconut! The cryopumps use activated charcoal coatings for cryo-sorption, and one of the best charcoals for pumping the helium exhaust waste from the fusion reaction is derived from coconut husks. This natural material with its exceptional porosity and adsorption properties, proves more effective than synthetic alternatives.  While coconuts may conjure images of island vacations, at ITER, the charcoal at the heart of the cryopump will play a critical role in maintaining the vacuum needed for fusion reactions.  Coconuts and cutting-edge fusion technology—an unlikely duo, yet a perfect match. ITER’s Robert Pearce presents Eric Giguet from Alsymex-Alcen with a coconut in appreciation of the successful manufacturing and delivery of eight torus and cryostat cryopumps for ITER. During manufacturing the cryopumps are tested down to 80 K. Delivery to ITER—well before their installation date—provides the opportunity to test a number of units down to 4.5 K at ITER’s new cryopump test facility, which is in its final stages of commissioning.  Congratulations to the whole team who worked exceptionally well together to achieve this important milestone. The last cryopump has arrived at ITER. A number of units will be tested down to 4.5 K in ITER’s new cryopump test facility. See a related article on the Fusion for Energy website.

On either side of the Tokamak Complex, construction is advancing on electrical buildings that will play key roles in distributing and safeguarding power to the ITER site while also establishing standards for future fusion plant infrastructure. “The scope of the electrical infrastructure can sometimes be underestimated, but it’s crucial because the power supply needs to be guaranteed to protect equipment and meet nuclear safety functions,” says Mariano Bennati, an electrical engineering officer with the department that is overseeing the design, Engineering Services. “It’s a good challenge because it’s not just designing the technical aspects of the buildings and equipment, it’s also designing the way the buildings and equipment will be qualified so the site can be authorized to operate by the French nuclear regulator ASNR.”Electrical power arrives at the ITER site via a 400 kV cable from the French national grid. It then passes through transformers and is divided into two electrical systems: the steady state electrical network (SSEN) for ITER’s conventional systems and facilities, and the pulsed power electrical network (PPEN) that will power the tokamak’s superconducting magnets and heating systems. Mariano Bennati from Engineering Services is in front of Building 47, an emergency power supply building that was designed in an L-shape to conform to the space available next to, and under, the busbar bridge. The Electrical Engineering Division is currently overseeing the construction of four buildings and associated structures that are essential for the SSEN system:* Emergency Power Supply buildings 44 and 45 are categorized as “SIC” (safety important components) because they will back up electricity to infrastructure that can impact nuclear safety such as the cooling water system, the central safety system, and radwaste treatment and storage. These buildings will be stocked with hundreds of batteries that can provide instantaneous electricity through the uninterruptable power supply (UPS) so the installation remains safe if there is a sudden loss of the main power supply. In such a situation, the batteries would act as an electrical bridge until emergency generators kick in.* Emergency Power Supply buildings 46 and 47 are categorized as “IP” (investment protection). The electrical loads protected by these buildings are not related to nuclear safety, but any loss of power would impact the project and possibly create long out-of-service periods.* Load centres and switch gears. Along with the buildings, the Division is also overseeing the construction of load centres LC1 and LC2, which are centralized electrical distribution points, and two medium voltage switch gears (MV4 and MV5) that transform power from 22 kV to 6.6 kV so it can be used by the different facilities. There are also two other load centres—LC15 and LC16—that can supply emergency power to the most critical systems as backup. A 3D schematic of L-shaped Building 47, one of the two "investment protection" emergency power supply buildings. The electrical loads protected by these buildings are not related to nuclear safety, but any loss of power would impact the project and possibly create long out-of-service periods. Each building, load centre, and switch gear is redundant—creating the Train A and Train B electrical systems—in case any part of the infrastructure fails. They have been set up in a mirror arrangement, with one pair of buildings located on the north side of the Tokamak Complex and the other pair located to the south. Advancements made in this area will be a valuable asset for other fusion projects with comparable infrastructure, as it is one of the first times nuclear qualification and manufacturing are being done for electrical equipment such as the medium voltage switchgear, dry type transformers, and cast resin low-voltage busbars.The four buildings and associated infrastructure are the responsibility of Fusion for Energy, the European Domestic Agency for ITER. Ansaldo Nucleare and Monsud have been contracted for the electrical systems and the buildings. Construction began in 2020 and is scheduled to be finished by 2028.

Manufactured by US subcontractor General Atomics on behalf of US ITER, this 110-tonne central solenoid module magnet is being loaded for transport to the port of Houston.The ITER central solenoid is the giant electromagnet at the centre of the ITER machine that will generate most of the magnetic flux charge of the plasma, initiating the initial plasma current and contributing to its maintenance. Six individual coil modules will be stacked vertically within a "cage" of supporting structures. General Atomics will also produce a seventh module as a spare.Each central solenoid module was wound from approximately 6,000 metres of niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) conductor supplied by the Japanese Domestic Agency. (See a photo reportage of production at General Atomics here.) Four have already been received on site at ITER and are assembled one on top of another in the ITER Assembly Hall. Once all six are stacked, a support structure will be built around the tower—including 18-metre-tall tie plates that run the full height of the central solenoid assembly (9 interior and 18 exterior) and that connect at top and bottom to massive upper and lower "key blocks."

Fusion devices around Europe are testing new materials, perfecting plasma control, and designing resilient reactor components to contribute to ITER’s success and prepare for the next-phase reactor DEMO. The European Consortium for the Development of Fusion Energy, EUROfusion, unites these diverse experiments under a shared research roadmap. European scientists are participating in the global quest to develop fusion as a sustainable energy source and training the future pan-European team of experts that will contribute to the scientific exploitation of next-step fusion devices including ITER. Under the umbrella of EUROfusion, which supports and funds fusion research activities on behalf of the European Commission’s Euratom program within 26 European Union member states*, specialists are pooling their expertise to tackle the complex challenges on the path to fusion energy. This collaboration helps to accelerate discovery and avoid the duplication of efforts.According to Programme Manager Gianfranco Federici, EUROfusion's main strengths are broad scientific knowledge and strong shared assets and facilities. "By coordinating our resources and talent, we can effectively support ITER in several critical technical, train a new generation, and advance faster towards a viable fusion power plant," he says in a press release issued today.  Recent milestones, including JET’s record-breaking fusion power output and WEST’s record-setting plasma duration, underscore Europe’s cutting-edge technology and scientific excellence. With vital contributions from the TCV tokamak (Switzerland), ASDEX Upgrade (Germany), and Wendelstein 7-X (Germany) as well as smaller labs across Europe capable of advancing diagnostic tools, testing high-heat-flux components, and conducting materials research, Europe is contributing to advancing the science and technology of fusion energy and chanelling the findings directly into supporting ITER and the European DEMO program, which aims at demonstrating the commercial viability of fusion power.See a press release issued today by EUROfusion. *Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom participate in EUROfusion activities with their national fusion budgets. 

The international ITER Business Forum (IBF/25) offers the opportunity to connect with global enterprises and create valuable business partnerships in fusion energy. Meet key players in the fusion supply chain—from companies and startups, to innovators shaping the global landscape. Approximately 850 people from 360 companies are currently registered and the industrial exhibition is sold-out (see the list of exhibitors here).Join them in Marseille, France, from 23 to 25 April 2025 by signing up at this link.

The second ITER Private Sector Fusion Workshop will take place at ITER Headquarters in France on 22-23 April 2025.  The aim of the workshop is threefold: to help the private sector best take advantage of ITER's new mechanisms for knowledge sharing and collaboration; to understand who is doing what to solve the remaining fusion technology challenges; and to highlight the capacities of the global fusion supply chain.An updated program has just been published on the workshop website. Registration closes on Friday 11 April 2025. There is also still time to sign up for the ITER Business Forum (IBF/25) through 23 April on this website. The two events are highly complementary.  

US ITER and Oak Ridge National Laboratory host a visit from ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi in late March. Highlights of the visit include the opportunity to present ITER status to the laboratory community, an informal US ITER all-hands Q&A session, and a visit to ORNL fusion labs including test stands for ITER plasma heating components and disruption mitigation studies. He also toured the now-under-construction Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX), which will be a tool for studying plasma-materials interactions for future fusion devices.US ITER is managed by ORNL, in partnership with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Savannah River National Laboratory, under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences.See the US ITER website here.