ITER: new approaches to global energy
Aikaterini Niovi Triantafillaki
According to its official website, ITER (which means “the way” in Latin) aims to “create” energy—or, in other words, a “small star” here on Earth. While this is a poetic expression rather than a literal goal, its real mission is to develop a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy. But how will that be achieved?
The organization aims to use fusion technology to produce electricity with minimal pollution, through a device called a tokamak.
A tokamak is a machine that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine hot plasma in a doughnut-shaped (toroidal) chamber. The idea of using nuclear fusion to generate energy was first proposed in the early 1950s by Soviet physicist Oleg Lavrentiev. In 1951, Andrei Sakharov and Igor Tamm further developed the concept, proposing that plasma could take the shape of a torus and be contained by magnetic fields.
Since then, tokamak design has advanced significantly. The United States initially led the way, and by the 1970s, other countries had joined the race. The growing need for a practical fusion reactor—one that could achieve ignition temperatures or use superconducting magnets—led scientists to one conclusion: the only viable path was collaboration.
Thus, the ITER member states—China, the European Union (via Euratom), India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States—agreed to share the cost and construction of one of the world’s largest energy projects.
This collaboration materialized in the 1980s with the formation of ITER, a global network dedicated to building the largest tokamak ever constructed. The project’s location had to meet physical and technical requirements: access to water and electricity, geological and seismic stability, and proximity to research or industrial centers. The CEA Cadarache research center in Southern France was selected to host the project.
The goal of ITER is to produce 500 MW of fusion power (enough to boil 3.3 million eggs at once!). ITER is an experimental fusion reactor designed to demonstrate that nuclear fusion can be a clean and sustainable energy source.
Its key objectives:
- Self-sustaining fusion: To achieve a “burning plasma” where most of the heat comes from the fusion reaction itself.
- Large-scale power output: To produce 500 MW from 50 MW of input—ten times the energy in return (Q = 10).
- Technology testing: To operate in realistic conditions to test plasma control, heating, diagnostics, and maintenance.
- Tritium breeding: To test methods for producing tritium fuel from lithium inside the reactor.
- Safety: To demonstrate that fusion is controlled and safe, with no danger to people or the environment.
Work is already underway, engaging researchers, students, and interns, with full scientific operation scheduled to begin in 2034!
