Review of the ITER Project

ITER is planned to be the first fusion experiment operating under reactor-relevant conditions, thereby demonstrating the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. ITER should accomplish this objective by demonstrating extended burn of deuterium-tritium plasmas at a fusion power of > 400 MW, by demonstrating technologies essential to a reactor in an integrated system, and by performing integrated testing of high-heat-flux components and tritium breeding blankets. The ITER tokamak is designed to have flexibility of plasma operations, providing a wide range of opportunities to develop inductively and noninductively driven reactor core plasmas and to study burning plasma physics. The ITER design, safety analysis and cost estimates are supported by a broad physics and analysis basis, and extensive technology R&D. Full-sized or scalable modules of key components have been successfully manufactured and tested. The scientific and technological bases to start ITER construction are established. Technical specifications allowing calls for tender for the supply of items needed for the start-up of the construction phase are under development. Inter-governmental negotiations among Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation and the United States of America to prepare the Joint Implementation Agreement for ITER construction and operation are expected to conclude in 2003. The ITER International Fusion Energy Organization would then be established in 2004 under international law and ITER operation would be able to start in 2014.