Westinghouse Electric Company has been awarded a $180 million contract to assemble the ITER vacuum vessel, the experimental fusion reactor located in southern France. This step marks a crucial stage in the development of the world’s largest Tokamak, designed to demonstrate the viability of fusion as a safe, carbon-free energy source.
Vacuum vessel assembly
The central component to be assembled by Westinghouse is the vacuum vessel, a double-walled steel structure intended to contain the fusion plasma at extremely high temperatures. The phase that now begins involves the welding of nine separate sectors to form a closed toroidal chamber. This stage is considered the most complex of the reactor assembly process.
Westinghouse has been part of the ITER ecosystem for more than a decade, working alongside partners such as Ansaldo Nucleare and Walter Tosto to manufacture various sectors of the vessel. This alliance has allowed us to develop advanced manufacturing techniques and meet the project’s demanding quality standards.
ITER’s Director General, Pietro Barabaschi, pointed out that the U.S. company has a recognized track record in the design and construction of nuclear power plants, which makes it a key ally for this stage.
Long-term goals
ITER is a multinational initiative that seeks to achieve 500 megawatts of plasma power through deuterium-deuterium reactions. Although it will not produce electricity, the reactor will validate critical technologies for future commercial plants. Thirty-five countries are participating, with the European Union providing almost half of the funding.
The new project schedule aims to start plasma operations by 2035. The construction site in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance has already received key components, such as superconducting magnets and additional vessel sectors.
For Westinghouse, this contract reinforces its position as a strategic supplier in the advanced energy sector. With a history dating back more than 135 years and a technology base that supports half of the world’s operating nuclear reactors, its participation in ITER confirms its commitment to a sustainable energy transition.
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Source and photo: Westinghouse Electric Company
