FPN10-25

ITER Update

May 1, 2010

The ITER Management Advisory Committee (MAC), chaired by G. S. Lee of Korea, met in March and endorsed the new project schedule of November 2019 for "first plasma" operation. The MAC noted that the ITER Organization still needs to complete the task of folding the resource estimates into the new schedule and presenting it to the ITER Council for approval at the Council's 16-17 June meeting. MAC chairman Lee said, "This will be quite a challenge, but it can be done." MAC also commented on ITER project management, but their recommendations have not been made public. It is widely known, however, that several members of MAC have urged that the Domestic Agencies of the ITER Parties cede to the ITER central project management team more oversight and control over the contractors of the Domestic Agencies.

ITER Procurement Arrangements (PAs) signed between the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies have now reached about 40. Recently, PAs were signed with the EU for the Inner Vertical Target of the Divertor System (value about EURO 31 M); with India for the Diagnostic Neutral Beam (value about EURO 15 M) and for the Cooling Water System (value about 70 M); and with the U.S. for the Central Solenoid Magnet (value about 88 M) and for the RF Transformer Lines.

Over 35 members of the German ITER Industry Council (DIIF) met at the ITER site in March. The group also sponsored an ITER Industry Day May 3 in Berlin. The ITER EU Domestic Agency has established an online "industry portal" as a "one-stop-shop" for information on ITER calls for tender.

The U.S. ITER Project Office sponsored a pre-solicitation Central Solenoid Vendor Meeting April 7 in Oak Ridge, TN. More that 60 representative of 42 companies attended. The attendees represented firms from the U.S., Japan and Europe.

On April 1, ITER Director General Kaname Ikeda signed the application for construction permit for the Poloical Field Coil Winding Facility, that will be the first structure built on the ITER site, beginning this summer. Permanent office building construction is also expected to begin this year. The Archictect Engineering contract for the majoriy of the ITER buildings (value about EURO 150 M) was also signed, on April 13. It covers 29 of the 39 buildings, site infrastructure and power supplies.