ITER and fusion energy research – your questions answered
What is ITER?
ITER is an experimental reactor which will reproduce the
physical reaction - fusion - that occurs in the sun and stars.
Existing experiments have already shown that it is possible
to replicate this process on Earth. ITER aims to do this at
a scale and in conditions that will demonstrate the scientific
and technological feasibility of fusion as an energy source.
What is fusion?
When the nuclei of light atoms come together at very high
temperatures, they fuse and this produces enormous amounts
of energy. In the core of the sun or a star, the huge gravitational
pressure allows this to happen at temperatures of around 10
million degrees Celsius.
At the much lower pressures that we can produce on Earth,
temperatures to produce fusion need to be much higher –
above 100 million degrees Celsius. To reach these temperatures
there must first be powerful heating, and thermal losses must
be minimised by keeping the hot fuel particles away from the
walls of the container. This is achieved by creating a magnetic
“cage” made by strong magnetic fields, which prevent
the particles from escaping. The development of the science
and technology involved in this process is the basis of the
European fusion programme.
What are the attractions of fusion as an energy source?
The key advantages are:
- It could provide a large-scale energy source with basic
fuels which are abundant and available everywhere.
- Very low global impact on the environment – no
CO2 greenhouse gas emissions
- Day-to-day-operation of a fusion power station would not
require the transport of radio-active materials
- Power Stations would be inherently safe, with no possibility
of “meltdown” or “runaway reactions”.
- There is no long-lasting radioactive waste to create a
burden on future generations.
Is fusion safe?
A fusion reactor is like a gas burner – the fuel which
is injected into the system is burnt off. There is very little
fuel in the reaction chamber at any given moment (about 1g
in a volume of 1000 m3) and if the fuel supply
is interrupted, the reactions only continue for a few seconds.
Any malfunction of the device would cause the reactor to cool
and the reactions would stop.
The basic fuels - deuterium and lithium – and the reaction
product - helium - are not radioactive. The intermediate fuel
– tritium – is radioactive and decays very quickly,
producing a very low energy electron (Beta radiation). In
air, this electron can only travel a few millimetres and cannot
even penetrate a piece of paper. Nevertheless, tritium would
be harmful if it entered the body, so the facility will have
very thorough safety facilities and procedures for the handling
and storage of tritium. As the tritium is produced in the
reactor chamber itself, there are no issues regarding the
transport of radio-active materials.
Extensive safety and environmental studies have led to the
conclusion that a fusion reactor could be designed in such
a way to ensure that any in-plant incident would not require
the evacuation of the local population.
What will be the environmental impact of fusion energy?
The energy generated by the fusion reactions will be used
for the same purposes as current sources of energy, such as
generation of electricity, heat for industrial use or the
production of hydrogen.
The fuel consumption of a fusion power station will be extremely
low. A 1 GW fusion plant will need about 100 kg of deuterium
and 3 tons of natural lithium to operate for a whole year,
generating about 7 billion kWh, with no greenhouse gas or
other polluting emissions. To generate the same energy, a
coal-fired power plan (without carbon sequestration) requires
about 1.5 million tons of fuel and produces about 4-5 million
tons of CO2.
The neutrons generated by the fusion reaction cause radio-activity
in the materials surrounding the reaction – so the walls
of the container etc. A careful choice of the materials for
these components will allow them to be released from regulatory
control and possibly recycled about 100 years after the power
plant stop operating. Waste from fusion plants will not be
a burden for future generations.
Who are the Seven Parties to ITER?
The Seven international Parties that are co-operating to develop
ITER are: China, EU, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United
States. The negotiations take place under the auspices of
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Why is it so important to undertake this project with all
Seven international Parties?
It is clearly a very important step to bring together the
most advanced nations in the world to co-operate in the development
of a major potential new technology. The challenges of the
ITER project require the best technological and scientific
expertise, which can best be harnessed by pooling resources
globally. By working together, the Seven parties are committing
themselves to a global response to a global challenge –
assuring sustainable energy resources. By ensuring the best
possible knowledge is put into ITER, it will be all the more
likely that a viable energy source will emerge at the end
of the project.
How much will ITER cost?
ITER construction costs are estimated at 4.57B€ (at
2000 prices), to be spread over about ten years. Estimated
total operating costs over the expected operational lifetime
of about twenty years are of a similar order.
How will ITER be financed?
The ITER project will be undertaken by the ITER Organisation
established by the ITER Agreement. The members of the Organisation
will bear the costs of ITER. With respect to the construction
of the ITER device, most of the components will be contributed
by the members in kind (i.e. the components themselves, rather
than the financing for them). For the European Union, a new
Joint Undertaking will be established in Spain through which
contributions (in cash and in kind) will be provided to the
ITER Organisation.
The EU and France – will contribute five elevenths of the construction
costs and the other six parties (China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United
States) will each contribute one eleventh.
Why is Cadarache the best site for ITER?
Cadarache, the site proposed by the EU, was supported for
a number of reasons:
The site satisfies all the technical requirements specified
by the international team in charge of the design of ITER.
Cadarache already hosts the world’s largest super-conducting
fusion experiment Tore-Supra at the CEA Cadarache Research
Centre, one of the biggest civil nuclear research centres
in Europe. Therefore the Cadarache site has existing technical
support facilities and expertise, which significantly reduce
the risks associated with the construction of a project such
as ITER.
France has well-established regulations for licensing ground-breaking
“first of a kind” facilities such as ITER.
Cadarache is situated close to the second largest city in
France, with associated social, cultural industrial and academic
infrastructure, an agreeable climate and pleasant natural
environment. These will help attract the brightest and best
scientists and engineers from around the world to the ITER
project.
What are the terms of the agreement reached with Japan on
the roles of host and non-host?
EU and Japan have reached an agreement on a privileged partnership
in which both partners will be able to develop a leading role
in taking fusion energy into the future. This partnership
looks beyond the ITER project to put it in the context of
a Broader Approach to fusion energy development. ITER as a
project is not enough to make fusion energy a commercially
viable source of energy for the future. The Broader Approach
will ensure other supporting research is carried out. The
list of potential Broader Approach projects has been identified
by all ITER parties.
How will the EU benefit from hosting ITER?
By hosting ITER, the EU will maintain its position at the
forefront of fusion research. The existence of such a high
technology, cutting edge research facility in the EU will
have considerable benefits for EU industry. We have seen from
past experiments in this field that participation in such
projects has kept the best and brightest scientists in Europe,
who have gone on to develop highly innovative projects that
bring considerable value for the companies for which they
work and EU industry in general.
For more information on ITER, go to www.iter.org
For more information on ITER at Cadarache, go to www.itercad.org
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