OREANDA-NEWS. November 19, 2007. Rosatom’s Council #6 discussed the problem of controlled thermonuclear synthesis and use of new energy technologies, reported the press-centre of Minatom.

The conference followed the official launch of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project.

The parties to the project — Russia, the EU, the US, Japan, China, India and South Korea — are already working the project in the French town of Cadarache. The reactor is supposed to be ready in 10 years and to be used for research for 20 years afterwards. The parties believe that in the meantime they will acquire enough experience for launching a DEMO and starting producing thermonuclear energy.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $10bln with 40% to be allocated by the EU and 60% — by the other six parties (10% each). Russia is to supply equipment for the project.

Meanwhile, each party will continue own research in the field of thermonuclear power engineering.

Representatives of a number of organizations of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy and the Russian Academy of Sciences – Kurchatov Institute, NIIEFA, TRINITI, NIKIET, VNIINM, IPPE, Red Star — took part in the conference. All of them are already studying the problem and have certain experience in the field.

The first issue on the agenda was the concept of the federal target program for mastering the energy of thermonuclear synthesis and creating research and technological basis for thermonuclear power engineering in Russia in 2009–2015.

The deputy head of the Department for Nuclear Science and Technology of Rosatom V.Korzhavin told the conferees about the procedure of development of federal target programs and presented the draft of the concept.

The objective of the program is to develop national base of tokamaks and innovative technologies for production of thermonuclear energy in Russia. The program is supposed to consist of two stages: 1st stage – 2009–2011 and the 2nd stage – 2012–2015.

“At the first stage we are planning to create a national center for production of plasma with reactor parameters, at the second stage – to design experimental industrial thermonuclear power plant,” Korzhavin said.

The maximum cost of the program is estimated at 30,25bln RUR: 10,1mln RUR for the first and 20.1bln RUR for the second stage. 25,78bln RUR will be received from the budget and 4,47bln RUR from off-budgetary sources.

The concept of the federal target program is presently being coordinated with the ministries of education and science, industry and energy, economic development and finance and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The second issue on the agenda was the participation of Russian companies and organizations in the ITER project. The head of the Russian agency of ITER A.Krasilikov told the conferees about the key stages of the ITER project. From earsworks (to be completed by the end of 2008) to tokamak building (by 2011) and tokamak assembly (by 2015).

To remind, the cryostat of ITER is 24 m high and 28 m dia, the total weight of the reactor, including the magnet system, is 20,000 tons. Fusion Power is 500 MW; Plasma Volume: 840 m3; Plasma Current: 15 MA; Temperature: ~20 keV; Density: ~1020m-3.

The “first plasma” tests are supposed to be started in mid 2016.

Krasilnikov said that Russian companies have taken an active part in the design of the magnet system, vacuum vessel, port plug (IC Heating), heating, test blankets and limiters/RHrem. diagnostics, current feeders.

Russia has supplied 20% of the total amount of NbPb and 18% of NbTi alloys. For this purpose, Chepetsk Mechanical Plant (Glazov) has set up a special production based on VNIINM’s technologies. The super-conductors are supposed to be ready in 2008 and to be supplied in 2009.

Korzhavin and Krasinlnikov were followed by representatives of the key companies involved in the federal target program and the ITER project. Particularly, the director of the Nuclear Synthesis Institute of Kurchatov Institute, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.Smirnov, the deputy director of the Nuclear Physics Institute, member of RSA E.Kruglyakov, the director general of VNIIEFA (All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics) O.Filatov spoke about the problems and the solutions of their institutes.

In conclusion, Y.Velikhov spoke about the problem of personnel training. He pointed out that next year the companies involved in ITER will send much fewer researchers to Cadarache.

Velikhov pointed out that even, if the Russian side is short of personnel for own needs, it must not reduce its representation in Cadarache. The ITER project is extremely important for Russia: taking just 10% of the total expenses, the country can get 100% of the total information about this large-scale and crucial project.

The general conclusion was that in the near future Russia must finalize the concept of the federal target program for mastering the energy of thermonuclear synthesis and creating research and technological basis for thermonuclear power engineering in Russia in 2009–2015 and to find ways to develop its research in highly prospective fields.

Russia must also actively develop its international cooperation under the ITER project as this will help the country to enhance its research and human capacities.

By the way, in Latin the word “iter” means “road.” This is quite symbolic: ITER is a road that is leading humanity into the thermonuclear future, to sources of inexhaustible energy. So, if we want this to happen and if we consider ourselves as part of the technical progress, we must work hard towards this end.