International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Development
Participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) joint development project to demonstrate in engineering terms the potential of electricity mass-production through fusion reaction, which is the source of solar energy
- Korea’s goal is to start constructing a commercialized fusion power plant around 2040 by securing original technology (fusion reactor device and control technology) and thus securing a large amount of clean energy.
Purpose of the project
- To acquire original technology for a commercialized fusion power plant by participating in the construction and operation of a 500 MW (1/6 of Korean standard reactor) ITER.
Project Main Outline
- Participants (7 regions/countries) : Korea, U.S., EU, Japan, Russia, China & India
- Construction Time : 10 years starting in 2006 After completion, the world-first plasma experiment will be carried out in 2018, while a tritium + deuterium fusion experiment after 2026.
- Construction Costs: 3,577.7 kIUA (approx. 5.08 billion euros)
- Countries will share the cost (EU 45.46%, other 6 countries 9.09% each)
- Investment Sharing
- In-kind : 78% including device manufacturing, dispatching of employees to the ITER organization, etc.
- Cash : 22% including ITER organization operation cost, labor costs incurred from hiring employees directly, etc.
Participating Countries' Basic Rights and Obligations
- Right to secure seats and voting rights for ITER organization, corresponding to the country's participating share.
- Manufacturing and delivering ITER procurement items allocated by country through domestic companies
- Sharing all R&D material necessary for future construction and utilizing the results of ITER design and R&D(US$1.5 billion already invested) executed since 1988.