°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council endorses updated project schedule
21 Nov 2016
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°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Communication
During the Nineteenth Meeting of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council held last week from 16 to 17 November, representatives of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Members reviewed the complete updated project schedule as proposed by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization. The schedule, which covers the period up to First Plasma in 2025 and on to Deuterium-Tritium Operation in 2035, was approved by all Members.
During the Council meeting on 16-17 November, representatives of China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States discussed the detailed updated baseline (scope, schedule, cost and risks) for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ through the start of Deuterium-Tritium Operation in 2035.
Building on renewed confidence achieved through the past 18 months of sustained strong performance in construction and manufacturing, the updated 2016-2035 schedule reflects the consensus and integrated efforts of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization and the seven Domestic Agencies.
The overall project schedule was approved by all °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Members, and the overall project cost was approved ad referendum, meaning that it will now fall to each Member to seek approval of project costs through respective governmental budget processes.
The Council stressed that the successful completion of all 19 project milestones for 2016, on time and on budget, provides tangible evidence of full adherence to commitments by all Members. These milestones had been approved by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council one year ago as a way to track project momentum while discussions were underway on the long-term schedule.
The updated schedule through Deuterium-Tritium Operation (2035) selects a "staged approach" after First Plasma as a way to increase confidence and minimize risk. In the staged approach to assembling °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ, assembly phases will alternate with periods of operation.
2016-11-17 - The Head of Delegation for the US Member is Adam Cohen, Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Energy, US Department of Energy (second from left). Other US delegation members are Edmund Synakowsk (left), Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences, Office of Science, DOE; and Robert J Ford, Senior Advisor, Office of Space and Advanced Technology, OES, US Department of State. On the right side of the image are the two °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Deputy Director-Generals, Eisuke Tada (Relations Coordinating Officer) and Gyung-Su Lee (Chief Operating Officer), and the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General Bernard Bigot.
2016-11-17 - Representing the Japanese Member: Kazuo Todani, Head of Delegation, Deputy Minister of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and Shigekazu Matsuura, Director of the International Nuclear and Fusion Energy Affairs Division of the MEXT Research and Development Bureau.
2016-11-17 - From the European Member: JoaquÃn Sánchez, Chair of the Fusion for Energy (F4E) Governing Board; and Johannes Schwemmer, F4E Director.
2016-11-16 - The heads of the European and Russian Domestic Agencies: Johannes Schwemmer and Anatoly Krasilnikov.
2016-11-16 - During a break on the first day, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General Bernard Bigot and Council Chair Won Namkung consult.
2016-11-16 - Representing the Indian Member (left to right): Shishir Deshpande, head of the Indian Domestic Agency; Ravi Bhushan Grover, Head of Delegation and Member of the Atomic Energy Commission; Shashank Chaturvedi, Director of the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR); and Ujjwal Baruah, Project Manager for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ India, IPR.
2016-11-16 - Shishir Deshpande, head of the Indian Domestic Agency, tests a new promotional tool—a viewbox that takes the viewer on an aerial tour of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ construction works.
2016-11-16 - The official group photo for the Nineteenth Meeting of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council, with representatives of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Members China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States.
2016-11-16 - Honorary °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council Fellow Evgeny Velikhov is also the Emeritus President of the Russian Kurchatov Institute and former °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council Chair.
2016-11-16 - The Head of Delegation for the Russian Member, Igor Borovkov, is assisted by interpreter Marina Zbaratskaya.
2016-11-16 - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Deputy Director-General Gyung-Su Lee (Chief Operating Officer) and Finance & Procurement Department Head Kattalai Ramachandran Sriram.
2016-11-16 - Chairman of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and High Representative for °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ in France Daniel Verwaerde (left); and the Director of Agence Iter France, Jacques Vayron.
2016-11-16 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council delegates were led on a tour of recent construction progress by °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Director-General Bigot.
2016-11-16 - The °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Council is responsible, in accordance with the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Agreement, for the promotion and overall direction of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Organization. The two regular meetings every year (June and November) can be supplemented by an extraordinary meeting for the examination of specific issues.
2016-11-16 - Representing Korea: (sitting, left to right) Hyeon Gon Lee, Deputy Director-General of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Korea, National Fusion Research Institute (NFRI); Chaegwon Lim, Deputy Director for the Fusion R&D Support Team, MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning); Tae Min Bae, Head of Delegation, Director-General for the Space, Nuclear and Big Science Policy Bureau, MSIP; interpreter Haejin Oh; and Myeun Kwon, Research Fellow, NFRI. Standing are Ki-Jung Jung, Director-General of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Korea, NFRI and Seung-Min Shin, Leader of the External Relations Team, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¸ßÊÖ Korea, NFRI.