ITER overview

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a joint project of the European Union, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States with the objective to design, construct and operate a Tokamak burning plasma experiment. The present phase of the project, the 6 year Engineering Design Activity (EDA), is entering its fifth year. The major features of ITER are now well defined. The development of detailed engineering designs for the components, plans for the machine assembly, the support facilities, the site requirements, construction plans, schedule and costs and a safety assessment are progressing to schedule and will be completed by the end of the Engineering Design Activity in July, 1998, in order to provide a basis for a decision by the ITER partners to proceed to the construction phase. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.