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ITER will procure the tritium fuel necessary for its research program from the global inventory. But the fusion power reactors of the future will have to produce all of the tritium fuel they require for operation from within their own vessels.

ITER's Tritium Breeding Module (TBM) Program, involving the ITER Organization and all seven ITER Members, is a research activity that will run in parallel to the main ITER research program. In this latest ITER Talk, Luciano Giancarli, head of the Tritium Breeding Blanket System Section, explains how ITER will provide a unique opportunity to test the feasibility of tritium breeding. 

First, he walks us through the principles behind tritium breeding—what a breeding blanket looks like, how to achieve it in principle, and in practice, and what are the potential candidates for breeding blanket materials. Next, he delves into the ITER TBM Program, which aims to test complete tritium breeding blanket mockups in reactor-relevant conditions. Space allocations in the machine and four initial TBM concepts have already been decided.

Finally, he describes the objectives of the test program and how they fit into the ITER Research Plan.

Watch the tenth episode of ITER Talks here.

See the full ITER Talks playlist on YouTube here.

The Japanese Domestic Agency has released a JAPAN Edition of the 2021-2022 ITER Organization photobook.

The main difference from the original? A significantly expanded gallery of manufacturing photos from Japan. See pages 76 to 90 for an idea of the broad expertise and knowhow that ITER Japan suppliers are bringing to bear in completing their commitments to the ITER Project.

Powerful gyrotron devices, robotic manipulators, advanced diagnostics, precise divertor targets, superconducting magnets ... view, or download, the JAPAN Edition of the 2021-2022 ITER Organization photobook here.

Tuesday 15 November was Energy Day at the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and fusion was part of the discussion through a panel called "Fusion: Clean Energy for All" (UNFCCC Pavilion).

The one-hour discussion was hosted by Gabriela Hearst, Creative Director of Chloé, and moderated by Jane Hotchkiss of the NGO Energy for the Common Good. Invited panelists were: Tim Bestwick, Chief Technical Officer at the UKAEA; David Livingston, Senior Advisor in the office of US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry; Jennifer Ganten, Chief Movement Builder at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (US); and Jessie Barton, Communications Lead at Helion Energy (US).

You can watch the full replay of the discussion here.

If you are a European company registered in a Fusion for Energy (F4E) member country, you can apply by 17 February 2023 to F4E's Technology Transfer Fusion Demonstrator Project Award.

The award (EUR 35,000) will go to a company that sees a use for its fusion technology outside of the traditional fusion market. 

In collaboration with In Extenso Innovation Croissance, Fusion for Energy seeks to unleash your entrepreneurial potential by helping you to carry out a project that integrates a fusion technology in a non-fusion application.

To read more about the requirements and guidelines, see this open call.

For more information about F4E's Technology Transfer Marketplace, click here.

For three days every year, the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin invites some of the most important researchers and thinkers of the day to discuss "Which are the next walls to fall in science and society?" with global leaders in science, politics, business, and the media.

During the 2022 edition, a panel titled "Advances in Fusion Technology/Breakthrough in Unlimited Energy Generation" was animated by Constantin Häfner, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT; Peter Leibinger, Vice Chairman and CTO of TRUMPF (high-tech manufacturing solutions); ITER's Chief Scientist Tim Luce; and Vinod Philip, Member of the Executive Board of Siemens Energy. The discussion was moderated by plasma physicist Melanie Windridge, Founder of Fusion Energy Insights. 

The main takeaway of the 50-minute discussion was that fusion energy should no longer be considered a "technology of the future." Just as mature science is converging with increasingly powerful technologies such as AI and computer modelling, there is a real interest—and real investment—by governments and the private sector. It is a good time for industry to get involved, both from the point of view of helping to solve the technical challenges that remain and for the kind of long-term visionary bets that can help accelerate the emergence of a fusion industry.  

Replay the livestream of the event on the Falling Walls website here (from 6:26:50 to 7:18:16).