On June 27, 2007 RF State Duma ratified agreement about establishment of international organization ITER (The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) for joint realization of ITER project.
It will take 10 years to construct ITER reactor at site of nuclear center in Cadarashe (France) and 20 years to investigate and achieve all ITER design parameters.
Russia will manufacture and deliver high-technological equipment of the main systems of reactor that will amount to 10% of total cost of its construction (about USD 560 million).
ITER reactor construction will allow to begin practical exploration of controlled thermonuclear fusion. Specialists note that the advantages of thermonuclear power are an availability of unlimited fuel reserves and a correspondence to the highest requirements of ecological safety.
Thermonuclear reactor has a passive safety excluding the physical possibility of initiation of reaction leading to explosion.
ITER reactor is designed for power 500 MW and for practical use of nuclear fusion energy. After ITER reactor the pilot thermonuclear power plant and in prospect commercial thermonuclear power plant should be constructed.
According to deputy chairman of the RF State Duma Committee for science and education Sergey Kolesnikov, the first commercial thermonuclear reactor can be constructed in 2020-2025. The European Union, China, India, Japan, USA, South Korea also take part in ITER project together with Russia.
SOURCE: AtomInfo.Ru
DATE: June 30, 2007