ITER: Creating New Energy In Europe
In 2005, after a long discussion, the members of the international ITER-project decided to build ITER in Cadarache (France), which meant that Europe became the center of the research on the nuclear reactor.
There were four countries which offered a location where ITER, an experimental fusion reactor on big scale, could be build: France, Spain, Canada and Japan. After a selection, Spain and Canada fell off, which lead to the withdrawal of Canada in the project. After this, China and Russia chose for France and South-Korea and the US chose for Japan, which meant a draw. After a long discussion, the members decided on a ministerial meeting that ITER would be built in France.
This decision was reached by an agreement between Japan and the EU (represented by Euratom). In return, Japan got an privileged position in the project. This meant that Japan could deliver the most employees and France and the EU would pay 50 percent of the costs and the other members only 10 percent each.
In November 2006 the ‘ITER agreement’ was signed by ministers of the members of the ITER-project and they could begin to build. The picture shows what it looked like in May 2013.
How to cite this page
Max Limpens, 'ITER: Creating New Energy In Europe', Inventing Europe, http://www.inventingeurope.eu/story/iter-creating-new-energy-in-europe
Sources
1. European Commission: Research & Innovation. “ITER – from dream to reality”.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/euratom/index_en.cfm?pg=fusion§ion=realisation-of-iter. Accessed on November 28, 2013.
2. European Commission. “ITER & Fusion Research”. Brussels, 5th May 2010.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-10-165_en.htm. Accessed on November 26, 2013.
3. Peter Rodgers & Belle Dume. “Europe beats Japan to ITER prize”. June 28, 2005.
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2005/jun/28/europe-beats-japan-to-iter-prize. Accessed on November 26, 2013.
