Process (IntErnational Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) It is a scientific pole designed to demonstrate the feasibility of a reactor a nuclear fusion as a safe, clean and unlimited energy source. It is located in the south of France at the Research Center Cea Cadarachethe result of the cooperation of many Villagesincluding China, South Korea, Japan, India, Russia, the United States and the European Union. The most important Italian contribution is that of the Center RFX Consortium of Paduawhich hosts the Neutral Beam Test Facilitywhere the powerful neutral beam heating systems are tested. The goal is to confine the plasma – or an ionized gas – to beyond 150 million degrees within a reactor called tokamak, Using powerful Superconductors magnets. Iter will not produce electricity for the population, but its main objective will be to demonstrate that it is possible to generate more energy than that consumed For trigger and keep the plasma.
The latest updates on iTer, the nuclear merger project
In the last year, the iTer project has recorded concrete advancements in the Tokamak: in April -May 2025, for example, theinstallation ofthe first two Wigt -vacuum chamber modules. These are imposing components, the weight of three Airbus A380 and others as much as a five -story building. In parallel they are Continue the repairs and checks on the components already installed, after the discovery in 2022 of cracks in the cooling circuits of thermal shielding panels.
The progress does not only concern the physical body of the reactor, but also its data storage and calculation center. The Scientific Data and Computing Center It is operational: organized on 48 Rackwas designed to host up to 1 MW of equipment And it has redundant systems for feeding and cooling that ensure less than 1.6 hours of inactivity in one year. The expected data traffic can reach up to 30-50 GB/swith save newspapers between 90 and 2 200 TB. It is estimated that by 2035 theCumulative archive will exceed 1 exactor 1 billion Gigabyte (GB). A huge value to say the least: corresponds to the exchange of data that annually send approximately 4 million Italiansif you consider an average use of about 20 GB/month per person.
There are also updates on the building front. The Tritium Building, necessary for the first plasma and preparatory for the operations that exploit Deuterio and Trizio, was complete at the end of 2023. The construction works were completed, with the exception of theHot cell Facilitya structure to manage maintenance, repair, decontamination and storage of the components activated by neutrons, through remote manipulation systems and in shielded environments.
Extra-site test and validation
In May 2025, the advisory committee for science and technology (Stac, iter Council Science and Technology Advisory Committee) met and examined the detailed version of the project and process research plan. The Stac Group examined the Magneti test program at the Magnet Cold Test Facilitywhose assembly is proceeding and should be completed by December 2025.
The same committee also visited the Neutral Beam Test Facility (NBTF) To verify the progress of neutral bundle injection tests, fundamental for heating plasma. The latter research center is not located in France, but within the RFX Consortium of Paduaone of the main European centers for merger research.
The components still to be completed with process and reactor
Some strategic components for the Tokamak operation are still under construction. The components relating to the magnetic confinementheating systems and measurement diagnostics, together with the finalization of the Hot cell Facility. To date the putting in function of the system between 2033 and 2034 And, to follow, scientific operations with hydrogen and deuter-deuterial plasms will begin. The magnets will be powered with maximum power starting from 2036, while the operation with Deuterio-Trizio will begin in 2039.
