FPN05-46

First ITER Full Power Shots Projected for 2021

May 28, 2005

Assuming initiation of the project in early 2006, ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) would make first burning (DT) plasma in 2020 (first plasma operation in 2016) and first full power (500 Megawatts thermal) operation in 2021, according to Y. Shimomura, head of the international ITER design team. Shimomura made the projections in a talk to the 7th International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, May 23-27 in Tokyo. Shimomura acknowledged, however, that the Final Design Report (completed in 2001) was "not sufficiently detailed for call for tender" and said the international design team "has been developing further the design where it was not developed in sufficient detail for call to tender." He said there are still "about 200 design issues" remaining to be resolved. Shimomura's talk is posted at http://fire.pppl.gov/isfnt7_shimomura.ppt

Meanwhile, the May 28 edition of the Daily Yomiuri (posted at http://fire.pppl.gov) reported that they were privy to the details of the agreement on the roles of host and non-hosting countries and speculated "The view that the reactor will be hosted in France increasingly has been shared in Japan, even among ruling parties who made efforts to win the ITER bid." They said, "The final decision on the location of ITER is expected to be made during ministerial-level talks among the six nations involved, scheduled to be held late next month (June) in Russia.

According to the paper, the unsuccessful bidder will be given the post of secretary general at ITER headquarters and "ITER-related facilities" will be built in the non-host country. The host country will shoulder 50 percent of the construction and operation costs while the unsuccessful candidate country will bear 10 percent of the costs. The remainder will be funded by the other four participating countries, the paper said. According to the paper, the agreement specifies that the unsuccessful bidder "will house reactor-related facilities, such a a remote experiment facility and a material research laboratory" and will also supply 20 percent of the workers to the main ITER facility. According to the paper, "Senior members of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council said they have acknowledged that Rokkashomura is unlikely to win the bid, and that government and ruling parties would soon start coordinating with the intention to concede the ITER site to France."

In his conference talk, Shimomura said "One Party may in time accept the importance, responsibility and benefit of hosting the complementary activities of the broader approach are the same as those of hosting the ITER facility."