MAN Energy Solutions in Deggendorf has received the fourth order for the world-renowned ITER fusion experiment. “We are proud to continue our work for the most ambitious energy project worldwide,” says Uwe Lauber, CEO at MAN Energy Solutions. “Thanks to this new order, we are demonstrating that we meet the highest industrial and technological challenges of the energy generation sector.”
In Cadarache, Southern France, 35 nations are working on the construction of the world’s largest Tokamak: a fusion reactor that works according to the principle of magnetic confinement. It aims to demonstrate that CO2-free power generation using nuclear fusion is a realistic energy source for the future. The fusion reaction is based on the same principle that powers our sun and stars. The heart of the Tokamak is a vacuum vessel in which, under extreme heat and pressure conditions, gaseous hydrogen is converted into plasma; a hot, electrically charged gas that can be used to generate energy. One gram of fusion plasma contains roughly the same amount of energy as twelve tonnes of coal. ITER will work with just three grams of fusion plasma and, from this, will generate 500 MW of thermal power.
The Tokamak building has been under construction since 2012. Together with CNIM, a French engineering company, MAN Energy Solutions has created scenarios and procedures for installing the Cryostat. Preparatory works on the Cryostat are now being carried out in Cadarache and the construction of the Tokamak is expected to commence at the beginning of 2019.
