International ITER Project: Delivering Foundations for Fusion Energy

The international ITER research facility now under assembly supports national fusion goals and the advancement of practical fusion energy systems. ITER will deliver scientific foundations for the production and control of a sustained fusion power source, or burning plasma. ITER partners share responsibilities for ITER hardware systems plus support for assembly and operations. Research operations will begin in 2034, but the scientific and engineering knowledge gained from ITER is contributing now to public-private partnerships and industry needs through information sharing and other opportunities. As an R&D platform, ITER will provide exceptional resources for many fusion approaches. Flexible operations will allow different plasma scenarios and fusion configurations to be addressed and studied. Long pulse durations will aid operations studies and the extensive diagnostics on ITER will measure performance and advance our physics understanding. ITER know-how and intellectual property can inform a variety of fusion needs and supports risk reduction for future devices and plants to produce and sustain a fusion power source in a safe and economical manner. The workforce training and growth that has resulted from ITER is contributing to multiple fusion sectors and influencing the trajectory of the next generation of fusion leaders.