China has shipped vital modules for a global fusion reactor project in France.
The components, departing from Guangzhou in southern China’s Guangdong Province, are the first of their kind sent to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in southern France.
Known as the “artificial sun,” the facility is a collaborative effort by China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the US to explore the potential of fusion as a large-scale, clean energy source.
Magnetic cage technology powers ITER’s nuclear fusion efforts
The ITER tokamak relies on a magnetic cage to confine, shape, and control super-heated plasma, enabling fusion reactions. Weighing 5,000 tons, this colossal structure consists of nine sectors and includes 44 ports to support critical operations such as diagnostics, remote handling, heating, and fueling. With an interior volume of 1,400 cubic meters, the vessel serves as a specialized experimental platform for advancing fusion energy research.
According to Luo Delong, deputy director general of the ITER organization, the project is focused on developing nuclear fusion energy as a long-term solution for humanity’s future energy demands. Fusion energy is considered ideal due to its virtually limitless fuel supply, environmentally friendly nature, and high safety standards, he added.
Serving as critical vacuum components, the blanket shield block modules provide neutron shielding and manage heat conduction under extreme thermal conditions. They protect the vacuum chamber, external equipment, and personnel from radiation, ensuring the stable and safe operation of the reactor.
Chen Jiming, chief scientist at the Southwestern Institute of Physics under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), likened the blanket shield modules to “refractory bricks” in a furnace.
China and South Korea lead ITER module production
These modules serve two key purposes: shielding against 14 MeV high-energy neutrons and transferring hundreds of megawatts of nuclear heat out of the system using cooling water. This design protects peripheral equipment while ensuring components operate within safe temperature limits, the Chinese scientist added.
China and South Korea are each tasked with producing 220 blanket shield block modules, with the first 48 manufactured by Dongfang Electric Corporation. According to Wang Weidong, chairman of Dongfang Electric (Guangzhou) Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd., the remaining 172 modules from China are scheduled for delivery by 2027. South Korea was initially assigned two ITER vacuum vessel sectors, but took on two additional sectors in 2016, bringing its total responsibility to four.
The modules could play a crucial role in producing tritium, an essential fuel for nuclear fusion. Tritium is vital for sustaining fusion reactions, but since it is scarce on Earth, it currently does not meet the demands for large-scale fusion energy development, Chen explained.
While the current project doesn’t focus on tritium production, the team plans to explore its role in the future to enable tritium regeneration and improve sustainability in clean energy.
