ITER (which stands for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, but also means "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is one of the world's most ambitious energy projects today. 35 countries are working together in the south of France to build the world's largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device designed to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale zero emissions energy source based on the principle that fuels the sun and the stars. A 100% economically and ecologically sustainable energy source!
ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy and keep fusion going for long periods of time. And, above all, ITER will be the first fusion device to test the integrated technologies, materials and physical regimes required for commercial generation of electricity using fusion.
Thousands of engineers and scientists have contributed to the design of ITER since the idea of an international joint experiment in fusion was first launched in 1985. The members of ITER (China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States) are now working on a 35-year partnership for the construction and operation of this experimental device and to develop fusion to the point of designing a demonstrative fusion reactor.
Ansaldo Nucleare has been working on fusion for more than 40 years, supporting the development of Italian fusion right from the outset. The company has made a significant contribution to the ITER project, appointed in 2010 to supply 5 sectors of the Vacuum Vessel, assembly of the Tokamak (TAC2 project) and construction of a full-scale prototype of the Inner Vertical Target (IVT). More recently, the company has performed important architectural engineering and design work on auxiliary systems for the Cadarache site, such as the Hot Cell Complex Building (HCCB), the Tokamak Auxiliary Preparation Building (TAPB) and Emergency Electrical Power Distribution (TB13).
