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Dr Bernard Bigot, Director-General of the Iter Organisation passed away on 14 May “due to illness”. Iter said he was “an inspirational leader for more than four decades across multiple fields of science and energy” and that his personal dedication and commitment to Iter over the past seven years shaped every aspect of the project”. Iter added: “While his untimely passing will be felt as a tragic blow to the global fusion community, Dr Bigot’s careful design and preparation of the Iter senior management team in recent years gives reassurance of the project’s continued success.”

Date: Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiter-director-general-bernard-bigot-dies-9701551

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) said it has been awarded a first contract from Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) for manufacture of six units of divertor outer vertical target additional components for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in southern France.

Date: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsmhi-awarded-iter-contract-9330000

New report highlights current opportunities for progress in commercialisation of the technology The UK has shortlisted five sites as the potential future home of the country’s first prototype fusion energy plant. Courtesy UKAEA. Capital costs for the development of a new generation of nuclear fusion reactors are high at around £100/MWh, but a substantial programme of standard build could bring them down to a viable target of £60-£70/MWh, a report published by engineering group Assystem says.

According to the report, which examines the potential for fusion in the UK, the government has estimated the 2040 levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) for the UK for standalone offshore wind, onshore wind and large-scale solar of £40/MWh, £44/MWh and £33/MWh respectively.

The £60-£70/MWh cost for fusion “provides the first target for nuclear fusion to be economically competitive”, the report concludes. It says fusion is uncompetitive today with other low-carbon options available in the UK – including wind and light-water nuclear fission reactors. The reason for this is the combination of a relatively high construction cost (£5,887/kWe) and a low capacity factor (56%).

The International Energy Agency has put the LCOE for advanced nuclear at $63/MWh (about £45/MWh).

With an improved, large fusion design the construction cost decreases to £4,135/kWe and the capacity factor to 75%. These two effects improve the fusion economics, decreasing the LCOE into the range £60 to £97/MWh. For a small fusion design, the energy cost of 75 units is in the region of £69- £99/MWh – a range that is comparable to 10 units of large fusion reactors and also the energy cost of LWR fission reactors.

Date: Saturday, 23 October 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/capital-costs-are-high-but-can-be-reduced-to-economically-competitive-level-10-4-2021

Ambitious target says country will be powered entirely by clean electricity by 2035 ‘subject to security of supply’ Two EPR plants at Hinkley Point C are the only commercial nuclear reactors under construction in the UK. Courtesy EDF Energy. The UK will secure a final investment decision on a large-scale nuclear plant by the end of this parliament – potentially in 2024 if a general election is called – and launch a new £120m ‘Future Nuclear Enabling Fund’ with options for future nuclear technologies including small modular reactors.

In a net zero strategy published on Tuesday the government said the new fund will provide targeted support for the development and deployment of new reactor technologies. Details of the fund will be announced in 2022, along with a roadmap for deployment.

The strategy says the government will also take measures to finalise investment decisions during the next parliament on further nuclear projects.

It says the UK will be powered entirely by clean electricity by 2035, subject to security of supply, with most of its electricity coming from the wind farms of the North Sea or state-of-the-art British nuclear reactors. This will “reduce the country’s vulnerability to sudden price rises caused by fluctuating international fossil fuel markets”.

Date: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Original article: nucnet.org/news/government-announces-net-zero-strategy-that-includes-large-scale-nuclear-and-new-reactor-technologies-10-2-2021

At its 28th Meeting on 16-17 June, the ITER Council convened via remote video conference to assess the latest progress reports and performance metrics of the ITER Project. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in southern France is a first-of-a-kind global collaboration. Construction of ITER is funded mainly by the European Union (45.6%) with the remainder shared equally by China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the USA (9.1% each). However, in practice, the members deliver little monetary contribution to the project, instead providing ‘in-kind’ contributions of components, systems or buildings.

Date: Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiter-reports-on-progress-8840244

After a decade of design and fabrication, US-based General Atomics said on 15 June that it is ready to ship the first module of the Central Solenoid to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in southern France. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, ITER is almost 75% built and massive first-of-a-kind components have been arriving in France from three continents over the past 15 months. Construction of ITER is funded mainly by the European Union (45.6%) with the remainder shared equally by China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the USA (9.1% each). However, in practice, the members deliver little monetary contribution to the project, instead providing ‘in-kind’ contributions of components, systems or buildings.

Date: Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsgeneral-atomics-prepares-to-ship-first-module-of-iters-central-solenoid-8822680

The 28th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC), which is being held on-line from 10-25 May, has attracted a record 3,400 attendees, including both full participants and observers. The conference organisers include the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and the ITER Organisation and the week-long programme takes full advantage of a powerful web platform.

Date: Wednesday, 12 May 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsiaea-fusion-energy-conference-attracts-record-participation-8735698

From a childhood fascination with "what small means" to simulating the power of the sun to bring affordable energy to all of mankind. This is the journey described by Sergio Orlandi, head of the Central Engineering and Plant Directorate at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Date: Wednesday, 05 May 2021
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ITERs-mission-to-fuel-the-future-of-humanity

The first of the six Poloidal Field (PF) coils has been transported to the Tokamak pit at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) under construction in France, Iter said on 26 April. The 350-tonne coil, 11.2 metres in diameter, is being transported by a crane that can carry a load of 750 tonnes. Once all the Toroidal Field (TF) coils are inserted, this PF coil will be installed in its final position.

Date: Friday, 30 April 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsfirst-poloidal-field-coil-moved-to-iters-tokamak-pit-8708773

Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, said on 21 April that it had been appointed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to help design the world's first centre for researching tritium for use in fusion energy. The Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) facility will be built at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire and will support ongoing work at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction in the South of France. This activity will also allow academic and industrial users to research how to process, store and recycle tritium, one of the fuels that will supply fusion power stations.

Date: Wednesday, 28 April 2021
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsatkins-awarded-design-contract-for-fusion-energy-research-centre-8702974