F4E and ITER Organization strengthen cooperation in nuclear safety

The components at the heart of ITER, the largest fusion experiment, are strictly regulated by French and European safety rules. These regulations translate into long lists of requirements that experts carefully go through before giving green light to manufacturing. It’s a thorough review process, in which teamwork between ITER Organization  and Fusion for Energy (F4E) can guarantee the compliance of components.

A good example comes from the teams working on Europe’s Test Blanket Modules (TBM). This ITER component will test technologies for the future breeding blanket in the DEMO power plant, a key system to regenerate the fuel that powers fusion reactions. Being inside the vacuum vessel, the TBM will operate under extremely high radiation and cooling pressure. Therefore, they must adhere to stringent safety norms.

F4E is responsible for the design and manufacturing of the water-cooled lithium TBM, one of the four concepts under development for ITER. As such, F4E must prepare extensive safety documentation that ITER Organization, as the operator, later reviews and endorses. That is the formal the procedure. However, both parties decided to try a new, integrated approach this time. They set up a task force, where experts from F4E and ITER Organization work hand in hand to anticipate issues and resolve questions.

“We put all the needed competences and experience in the same room, including system designers and specialists in safety and regulation. The meetings are allowing us to navigate through the paperwork more efficiently and ensure the fulfilment of all requirements,” claims Yves Poitevin, technical responsible officer at F4E. His counterpart at ITER Organization, Rossella Rotella, shares the same view: “The trustful cooperation is essential to address the technical challenges. We are building a common ground for the classification, design and manufacturing of first-of-a-kind technologies.”

In total, the assessment will cover more than 460 pieces of pressure equipment under F4E’s responsibility. The joint group has completed three TBM sub-systems, such as the complex lithium loop, out of the six they must go through. Their aim is to consolidate all input documents by early 2025.

This one-team spirit, according to Poitevin, could inspire more projects to explore similar strategies. The initiative is in line with the spirit of close collaboration fostered by the F4E and ITER Organization management.