The European fusion research programme has always been characterized by the strong cooperation between research institutions and its focus on priority topics. From 1999 until the end of 2023, the largest fusion research facility at the time, JET in Culham (UK), was operated jointly by the European fusion laboratories. The fusion research programme's focus on the construction and operation of ITER has been established within the framework of the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA). The work programme of the EUROfusion consortium is based on the missions of the "Roadmap to the Realisation of Fusion Energy", which was published in 2012 by EFDA and updated in 2018.
Fusion research at Austrian universities and research institutions is being conducted in cooperation with renowned European fusion laboratories and partners at European universities:
Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
In Garching near Munich, operation of the biggest German fusion device of the Tokamak type ASDEX Upgrade started in 1991. ASDEX Upgrade is intended to investigate the core issues of fusion research under power-plant like conditions and to elaborate the physical fundamentals for ITER and DEMO. For this purpose particular plasma characteristics such as plasma density, plasma pressure and material properties of the first wall are adapted to the circumstances in a future fusion power plant.
Wendelstein 7-X is the world's largest fusion device of the stellarator type. It is a ring-shaped device comprising five almost structurally identical modules: Each of the five sections of the plasma vessel, along which 14 magnet coils are strung, is enclosed by a steel outer sheath, weighing altogether 120 tons. Assembled like slices of cake on the machine's foundation, the five modules form a steel ring from which numerous connection ports protrude – inlets for diagnostic systems, heating facilities and pumps.
The first plasma was achieved in December 2015 and the facility was officially inaugurated on 3rd February 2016 in the presence of the former German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
JET (Joint European Torus) was the world's largest tokamak for a long time and also the only research facility with which experiments with a fuel mixture of deuterium and tritium were possible. During the deuterium-tritium campaign in 1997, the highest output to date of 16 MW was achieved. ITER-like wall materials were installed in JET between 2011 and 2013. The energy record of 59 megajoules achieved during the second DTE campaign in December 2021 caused a stir. This record was broken during the DTE3 campaign, which ran from August to October 2023. The researchers succeeded in generating 69 megajoules of energy using just 0.2 milligrams of fuel. The experiments of the DTE3 campaign also demonstrated that the routine generation of reliable fusion plasmas is possible.
At the end of December 2023, the tokamak, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in June 2023, ceased plasma operation. Over the years, scientists from more than 31 European laboratories worked on the experiments at JET under the leadership of the EUROfusion consortium, providing essential results for the operation of ITER and other future fusion facilities.
After decommissioning, JET entered the next phase, "Repurposing & Decommissioning", which will provide valuable insights into how future fusion facilities can be made more sustainable and cost-effective.
MAST Upgrade is based on the original MAST (Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak) machine, which was in operation from 2000 to 2013. It was rebuilt to enable higher performance - longer pulses, higher heating power and a stronger magnetic field - and an innovative new plasma exhaust system. Plasma exhaust is a key problem that must be solved to achieve commercial fusion power. MAST Upgrade is the first tokamak in which the "Super-X-Divertor" is being tested. This is an exhaust system designed to reduce the heat and power load caused by the particles escaping from the plasma, which should mean divertor components will last much longer.
International fusion activities: the IAEA’s role
Worldwide research has made impressive progress in fusion and plasma physics. Many scientific questions have been solved in the last years. Controlled nuclear fusion and plasma physics research is currently carried out in more than 50 IAEA Member States. The challenge is to prove that fusion as an energy source is scientifically feasible. Since this will require large, complex and expensive devices to address reactor-relevant physics and technology challenges, international collaboration on fusion research and development is needed.
The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) fosters international collaboration and coordination to help close the existing gaps in physics, technology and regulation and move forward in developing the peaceful use of fusion energy. The Agency’s activities in this field cover, among others, plasma physics and fusion power, technologies and material, both for magnetic and inertial fusion.
Click HERE for more information from the IAEA regarding fusion research.
Further cooperations
- Jülich Research Center (Germany): Plasma wall interaction
- Uppsala Universitet (Sweden): Plasma wall interaction
- Jožef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana, Slovenia): Plasma turbulence, ELMs, probe diagnostics