Inside the World's Biggest Bet on Fusion Energy
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in southern France is the world's largest fusion reactor, aiming to create controlled fusion reactions. With a budget of $22 billion, it represents a significant international collaboration involving over 30 countries. Despite delays and increased costs, ITER is seen as a crucial step towards making fusion energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels and traditional nuclear power.
- ▪ITER is designed to contain temperatures 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun.
- ▪The project has faced setbacks, including a $5 billion increase in costs due to repairs and delays.
- ▪More than 30 countries are collaborating on ITER, contributing to the development of a global fusion energy supply chain.
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Nestled in the countryside of southern France is a sprawling industrial complex where scientists and engineers from around the world have converged to build the world's largest-ever fusion reactor: a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber designed to contain temperatures 10 times hotter than the core of the Sun.At an estimated cost of $22 billion, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is the world's biggest bet on fusion energy: a project so daunting in scale that longtime geopolitical rivals have pooled their resources to share in its potential risks and rewards. ITER's central solenoid (left) is the largest magnet in the world. It will play a key role in starting and maintaining ITER's fusion reactions.
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