New civil engineering tenders

In late 2010 F4E hosted an information meeting presenting the overall construction strategy and the procurement packages in the pipeline for the construction of the ITER buildings.
120 participants from companies based in 11 different EU Member States came together to learn, discuss and explore potential collaborations between them. Parallel to the ongoing construction carried out on the site, two additional actions will be launched in 2011: the civil engineering and finishing works for the tokamak complex and the tokamak cargo lift together with the assembly hall cranes.

The tokamak complex, which will host the ITER device, currently includes seven floors and around 10,000 embedded parts. The concrete foundations, walls, slabs, columns and floors are in the range of 130,000m³. The shield doors designed in line with the specifications of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority standards will be 4 metres high, 4 metres wide and weigh approximately 40 tonnes. The works are envisaged to last 54 months and their overall cost is expected to go above € 150 million.

Any in-vessel component that requires replacement or maintenance will be moved by the cask transporter from the tokamak building to the hot cell building with the cargo lift, which connects the two buildings.  The lift will be 32 metres high with a capacity to lift up to 100 tonnes. The same contract is expected to cover the design, certification, manufacturing testing installation and commissioning of the assembly hall cranes and of one lifting beam able to lift up to 1,500 tonnes.

The works are envisaged to last 54 months and are expected to cost less than € 50 million.

Both contracts will be awarded through competitive dialogue which is currently ongoing.