Work on the Tokamak complex kicks off

The kick off meeting of the civil engineering contract and finishing works of the Tokamak complex, the building that will host the ITER Tokamak machine and surrounding buildings, was held in April at the F4E offices in Barcelona. During the meeting the delivery dates for the buildings and the construction schedule were discussed.

The contract, awarded to the VFR consortium, which brings together VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Razel-Bec, Dodin Campenon Bernard, Campenon Bernard Sud-Est, GTM Sud and Chantiers Modernes Sud as well as Spanish company Ferrovial Agroman, is worth an estimated 300 million EUR with a planned duration of 5 and a half years. 

Through this contract the following infrastructure and amenities will be constructed: the Tokamak complex, consisting of the Tokamak, Diagnostics and Tritium buildings, the ITER Assembly hall, the radio frequency heating building, the areas for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, the cleaning facility and site services buildings, the cryoplant compressor and coldbox building, the control buildings, the fast discharge and switching network resistor building, and three bridges.

The kick-off meeting is a first milestone for the execution of the contract. The contractor presented the quality assurance and the construction schedule. The ceremony of the kick of meeting represents also a reminder to all parties on their role and the key aspects of their commitment within the ITER project such as employer, operator, design management, health and safety aspects, quality aspects, site rules and generally interfaces with other actors of ITER project. Representatives from the contractors from the VFR consortium, the Engage consortium (dealing with ITER building design) and Apave (dealing with Health and Safety Protection Coordination and Legal Inspection Services) were present, in addition to representatives from ITER IO and F4E. 

Professor Henrik Bindslev, Director of F4E, highlighted the importance of the meeting, saying that it was a highly significant moment for Europe because it demonstrated F4E’s commitment to the ITER project and delivered on an instrumental chapter of its construction. Professor Osamu Motojima, the Director General of ITER IO, spoke of the work undertaken by F4E, ITER IO and all of contractors in completing the building and system design integration. This was an opportunity to demonstrate the high capability and strong motivation to move the ITER project forward by solving the technical issues according to the schedule and complete the technical integration of the Tokamak complex and other important buildings. 

During the meeting, design data was provided to the VFR consortium in order for them to start work. Construction, primarily of the Tokamak complex, but also the other buildings in parallel, is scheduled to start within the next 6-8 months, although already progress has been made, for example in terms of works for the second concrete slab of the Tokamak complex and the Assembly building.