Plant assembly

Everything outside of the Tokamak boundary falls into the category of "plant assembly"—including the installation of equipment and systems inside of the Tokamak Complex (pictured) as well as the more standard plant installation works in buildings across the ITER platform.

First-phase plant assembly contracts cover the systems needed for the Start of Research Operations. This category includes the cryogenic, cooling water and electrical plants; basic diagnostics; some radio frequency heating, as well as large captive components that must be installed in the buildings early.

For the most complex and time-sensitive area—the Tokamak Complex—the choice has been made to split the works between two contractors, and to organize the division of scope by system, location and sequence (see detail below). Although the two assembly contractors for the Tokamak Complex work in distinct areas, their work scope contains many common elements.

Mechanical and piping works: vessels, piping systems, heat exchangers, pumps, motors; cable trays and cable pulling; wave guides; piping thermal installation; pressure tests, flushing. Electrical, instrumentation and control: DC busbars, switching equipment, power cables, I&C cables and cabinets.

The installation of equipment is progressing in the Tokamak Complex. Work to install systems is also underway in plant buildings across the ITER platform; others have been fully equipped and turned over to the ITER Organization for commissioning.

Gallery

New! Using augmented reality on the worksite

2025-03-25

New augmented reality software has been deployed at ITER that allows plant assembly engineers and technicians to compare, with a simple tablet or smartphone, the "as-built" position of components to the 3D plans. Savings in both cost and time are expected as issues can be more easily identified.

Equipping the control room

2025-03-18

30 operator stations in the ITER control room are now equipped with keyboards, mice and computer screens. This configuration will cover needs for the next seven to eight years.

5

km cryolines

5000

km cables

40

km cooling water piping

170

local control systems

Contractors carrying out the day-to-day work under the oversight of the ITER Organization:

TCC/1

Tokamak Complex Contract 1: Fincantieri Consortium (Fincantieri S.p.A., Fincantieri SI S.p.A., Delta-ti Impianti S.p.A., Comes S.p.A.) For the installation of heating and current drive, diagnostics, fuelling, secondary cooling, and vacuum components.

TCC/2

Tokamak Complex Contract 2: META SNC (Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios SA, and Empresarios Agrupados Internacional SA.) For the installation of primary machine cooling water, test blanket module equipment, some vacuum pipework, vacuum vessel pressure suppression.

BALANCE OF PLANT

Work on the platform has been divided into these contracts: Group 1 - equipment installation in the Magnet Power Conversion buildings; Group 2 - installation of cooling water plant; Group 3 - electrical distribution; Group 4 - installation of multi-process lines; Group 5 - installation of DC busbars, switching networks and fast discharge units; Group 6 - installation of converters, transformers, reactive power compensation units, and harmonic filters.

Plant assembly