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FPN12-32

US ITER Project Progress

June 15, 2012

US ITER Project Manager Ned Sauthoff reports that "US ITER continues to make good progress on design and R&D activities and, where relevant, fabrication. He notes that "over 90% of the preliminary design will be completed by June 2012 for the following US contributions: central solenoid, toroidal field conductor, tokamak cooling water system, vacuum auxiliary systems, steady state electrical network, ion cyclotron transmission lines, and two diagnostic instruments." He states that "more than 85% of superconducting wire strand production for the US contribution to the toroidal field magnets has been completed by Luvata Waterbury and Oxford Superconducting Technologies. The US is responsible for 8% of the toroidal field conductor.

Sauthoff states that over $767 million (in total value with options) has been awarded to US vendors and obligated to DOE labs from the ITER Project Office. The DOE has not publicly divulged its current estimate for the total cost of the US commitment to ITER but DOE ITER Federal Project Director Bill Cahill states, "Current indications are that there is engagement to reach consensus on a realistic, affordable funding profile" and that "we hope to have resolution on a potential (funding) profile by the end of this summer." Sources in the fusion community have said they expect the total US cost to approach $2.5 billion.

For the first time since the project was formally launched in 2006, the US will host a meeting of the ITER Council, ITER's governing body, on June 20-21 in Washington, DC.