FPN09-30

ITER Council Adopts New Schedule

June 22, 2009

At its fourth meeting, on 17-18 June, the ITER Council, the Governing Body of the ITER Organization, adopted a revised schedule for ITER construction and operations, proposed by the ITER Organization and previously reviewed and endorsed by the ITER Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) and the ITER Managaement Advisory Committee (MAC).

The schedule calls for "first plasma" in late 2018, a date previously announced in late 2008 as a two year slip from the original date of 2016 (see presentation by ITER Director General Kaname Ikeda at Fusion Power Associates December 2008 annual meeting, posted at http://fire.pppl.gov. Further, the new schedule calls for a "phased approach" for operations starting in 2019, consisting of about 5 years of operation with hydrogen and helium, followed by about 2 years of operation with deuterium plasmas, prior to introducing tritium into the machine. Experiments with deuterium-tritium plasmas would begin in mid 2026, according to the plan, with high gain (Q=10), long pulse (15 min) operation in 2028.

The review of ITER "resource estimates" (i.e. costs) is still underway by an independent panel ("Briscoe Panel). At its June meeting, the ITER Council requested "the finalization of a realistic schedule with resources needed to complete ITER construction." This assessment is expected to be considered by the Council at its next meeting, in November 2009.