Where is Europe manufacturing its ITER components?

ITER TF coils manufactured at ASG La Spezia, November 2015

Towards the end of last year F4E organised a photo tour in several facilities to capture the manufacturing progress of different ITER components. The main objective was to showcase the laboratories and companies where production takes place and acknowledge the contribution of the workforces to the biggest scientific international collaboration in the field of energy.

We kicked off the photo tour in Italy to witness the progress unfolding in the ITER magnets, the vacuum vessel and test blanket modules. We visited ENEA (Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo económico sostenibile, Brasimone) where F4E uses the helium loop facilities to carry out tests as part of the work for the test blanket systems. SIMIC was next on our list to see the workshop where half of Europe’s radial plates for the TF coils are being manufactured. And we concluded our visual narrative on magnets stopping by ASG where the TF coils are being assembled. 

The vacuum vessel was another component that we covered through this photo tour. First, we visited the Mangiarotti workshop located in the North of Italy, which has a milling machine that supports 600 tonnes. And then concluded the tour at the facilities of Walter Tosto, where the housings – the pieces which attach the blanket modules to the vacuum vessel – are manufactured.

To view the facilities where Europe is manufacturing its share of ITER components we invite you to visit our image library on Flickr.  

IELLLO, one of the biggest forced circulation Lead Lithium Loops in Europe, ENEA, Brasimone, November 2015.

Welding of the Radial plate in vertical position, SIMIC, November 2015.

Neutral Beam Test Facility in Padua (Italy), November 2015.

Dimensional survey of one flexible housing for ITER vacuum vessel, November 2015.