24 Nov (NucNet): A review of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) project has resulted in “a much-improved understanding” of the scope, sequencing, risks, and costs of the work involved with an updated long-term schedule and budget that will now be the subject of an independent review, the Iter Council has said.
The Council, the governing body of the Iter Organisation, did not give details of the updated schedule or budget.
Bernard Bigot, director-general of the Iter Organisation, said the independent review will see if there are areas that can be improved or accelerated.
At a meeting last week the Council approved a schedule and milestones covering 2016 and 2017, a reallocation of existing resources to meet these milestones, and the hiring of nearly 150 additional staff, a statement said.
Media reports said today that operation of Iter has been postponed until 2025 from around 2020. Iter, under construction at Cadarache in France, is intended to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power.
The total cost of the project has been estimated at €15 billion (about $16 billion).
