Analysis and Physics
ITER, a €20 billion nuclear fusion reactor under construction in France, will now not switch on until 2035 - a delay of 10 years. With smaller commercial fusion efforts on the rise, is it worth continuing with this gargantuan project?
An aerial view of ITER
ITER Organization/EJF Riche
ITER, the world’s largest fusion power project, has been hit by a 10-year delay, meaning plans to switch it on have now been pushed back to 2035. This could see the state-funded effort overtaken by commercial fusion projects, leaving some to question whether it is even worth continuing with the experiment. Is it time to shut ITER down, or is there life in it yet?
The reactor, which is under construction in France, is a vast international effort chiefly involving the European Union, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US.…