The dream of clean and independent energy is becoming a reality with the start of the promising nuclear fusion reactor, ITER. The fusion of atoms will soon be possible with the beginning of the assembly of the reactor. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, along with politicians from China, Korea, Russia, India, Japan, Europe, and the USA, declared the official start of the world’s largest fusion reactor, ITER, on July 27th, 2020. The delivery of components from all over the world preceded this crucial phase. The countries involved in the project have fulfilled the international treaty signed in 2006 to build the reactor.
The fusion reactor aims to replicate the power of the sun by fusing hydrogen into helium in the plasma. Unlike nuclear fission, which produces nuclear waste, nuclear fusion is cleaner and more economical. ITER is expected to prove that fusion energy is commercially viable. The reactor is designed to generate 200 megawatts of electricity in continuous operation, which is equivalent to the power of 450 wind turbines, enough to power 200,000 households. The project started in 2007, but there have been repeated delays due to the need for high pressure and temperature to replicate the conditions of the sun.
Although the test operation is scheduled to begin in 2025, realistic experiments on nuclear fusion are not expected until ten years later. The project has been criticized as a billion-dollar investment, with Europe contributing up to 45% of the total cost of over 20 billion euros. Some experts also question the contribution of nuclear fusion to the energy transition. Nevertheless, ITER is a significant step towards achieving clean and sustainable energy, and the world is watching with anticipation as the assembly of the reactor progresses.
