Contact:
Laban Coblentz
+33 6 14 16 40 85
ITER Council endorses updated project schedule to Deuterium-Tritium Operation
ST PAUL-LEZ-DURANCE, France (17 November 2016) – The ITER Council has endorsed an
updated schedule for the ITER Project through First Plasma and to Deuterium-Tritium
Operation. Building on renewed confidence achieved through the past 18 months of sustained
strong performance in construction and manufacturing, the updated 2016-2035 schedule
reflects the consensus and integrated efforts of the ITER Organization and the seven Domestic
Agencies.
At its Nineteenth Meeting on 16 and 17 November 2016, the ITER Council reviewed the complete
updated project schedule through First Plasma (2025) and to Deuterium-Tritium Operation (2035) as
proposed by the ITER Organization. The overall project schedule was approved by all ITER Members,
and the overall project cost was approved
ad referendum,
meaning that it will now fall to each Member to
seek approval of project costs through respective governmental budget processes.
The Council concluded that:
Project construction and manufacturing have sustained a rapid pace for the past 18 months,
providing tangible evidence of full adherence to commitments. The successful completion to
date of all 19 project milestones for 2016, on time and on budget, is a positive indicator of the
collective capacity of the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies to continue to deliver
on the updated Schedule.
The staged approach as selected in the updated schedule after First Plasma increases confidence
and minimizes risk by focusing on completing ITER in stages and carrying out fusion power
experiments in between each stage. This approach is the best way forward in alignment with the
priorities and constraints of all ITER Members.
The continued evidence of effective decision-making, deep understanding and prompt
mitigation of risks, and rigorous adherence to standards of quality, safety and schedule
commitments provide a strong basis for confidence that the project will maintain its current
positive momentum.
The Council approved new measures to enhance the effectiveness of ITER governance by its oversight
bodies, and reappointed the Chairs of the ITER Council and its subsidiary committees for a second
term of one year.
Given the rapid pace of ITER Project progress, the ITER Council said it would take advantage of the
increasing opportunities to engage with the scientific and industrial communities, in both national and
international forums, including at the upcoming ITER Business Forum in Avignon in March 2017. The
Council encouraged the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies to also take advantage of these
opportunities.
The Council commended the ITER Organization and Domestic Agencies both for the successful
development of the updated schedule and for the continuing strong performance in construction and
manufacturing, on schedule and on budget.