FUSION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION Chris Llewellyn Smith Director UKAEA Culham Chairman Consultative Committee for Euratom on Fusion

Europe has a single/integrated fusion programme based in many labs, and steered/coordinated by EURATOM and EFDA (European Fusion Development Agreement), and a range of excellent fusion facilities: Tokamaks: JET ASDEX-U MAST (ST) Torre Supra TEXTOR TCV FTU Compass D (→ Prague) … + Stellarators: W7X (under construction) + test facilities TJ2

Introduction to the official description of the Euratom Fusion Programme 2007-11 (more specific details later) Fusion has the potential to make a major contribution to the realisation of a sustainable and secure energy supply for the EU ITER …lies at the heart of the present EU strategy …it must be accompanied by a strong and focused European R&D programme to prepare for… ITER and to develop the technologies and knowledge base …needed during its operation and beyond. “Broader Approach” projects (€340M from Japan + €340M from Europe over ten years) to accelerate the development of fusion energy. The rapid development of fusion also requires a wide industrial base to ensure a timely deployment of fusion energy. Overall objective of the programme: To develop the knowledge base for, and to realise ITER as the major step towards, the creation of prototype reactors for power stations that are safe, sustainable, environmentally responsible, and economically viable.

Funding Work in laboratories – approx. 75% National + 25% EURATOM JET Operations – 75% EURATOM + 12.5% EURATOM Members (~ size of national programmes) + 12.5 % UK JET enhancements – EURATOM ITER Construction – 45.5% of total (EURATOM/France = 4/1) Broader Approach – France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland EFDA ~ collective use of JET + coordination of physics + emerging technologies + training European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy ~ ITER contributions (R&D was previously under EFDA) + Broader approach + DEMO technology Euratom funding for 2007- 2011 = €1947M (including ~ €1 billion for ITER construction) National funding in last few years has been ~ €300M /year

Broader Approach IFMIF EVEDA, JT60-SA, International Fusion Energy Research Centre (Super computer, DEMO studies,…) EURATOM Programme: Specific Activities in the 2007-11 The realisation of ITER…… R&D in preparation of ITER operation…. assessment of specific key technologies for ITER operation through the completion and exploitation of the JET Enhancements (first wall, heating systems, diagnostics) exploration of ITER operating scenarios by means of targeted experiments on JET and other facilities, and coordinated modelling activities. ….

JET is collectively used by EFDA Associates More than 300 scientists from all over Europe worked on JET during the 2006-2007 Campaigns

JET ITER-like wall experiment 700m2 Beryllium first wall low Z Oxygen getter Optimise plasma performance But large erosion & melting ITER 100m2 Tungsten Low erosion high melting T Negligible T retention Optimise lifetime & T- retention But high Z & melting W JET 50 m2 Graphite CFC Lowish Z No melting in transients Superior heat shock behaviour Optimise heat flux resistance But large erosion & T retention CFC

Specific EURATOM Activities 2007-11 (continued) R&D in preparation of ITER operation…. (continued) At an early stage of the Framework Programme, a review will be carried out of the facilities … examining the possibility of phasing out existing facilities, and considering the need for new devices in parallel to ITER exploitation. The review will be used as a basis for the possible support of new or upgraded devices …. Technology activities in preparation of DEMO…. R&D activities for the longer term …. …improved concepts for magnetic confinement schemes an experimental fusion physics programme… aimed at the optimisation of power station design …theory and further modelling with the ultimate aim of a comprehensive understanding of reactor-grade fusion plasmas …studies of the sociological aspects and economics of fusion power generation Human resources, education and training

Reinforcing and Accelerating the Path to DEMO I was recently asked to convene a group to provide input to the European Commission’s proposed Strategic Energy Technology Plan. The following is my personal summary of the key input made by the group, whose members are C Llewellyn Smith1, E Bogusch2, M Gaube3, F Gnesotto4, G Marbach 5, J Pamela6, M Q Tran7, H Zohm8 all participating as individuals, not as representatives of their parent organisations 1 UKAEA, 2 AREVA NP, 3 Tractebel Engineering/SUEZ, 4 RFX Padua, 5 CEA, 6 EFDA, 7 EPFL Lausanne, 8 IPP Garching

My personal summary of our input: The EU has an excellent fusion R&D programme, based on a sound plan designed to lead systematically to demonstration of electricity production by fusion in ~ 30 years (assuming no political delays and no major adverse surprises). We propose that: The plan should be strengthened by additional investment in technology & physics, and perhaps also the construction of a European ‘satellite tokamak’ and/or a Component Test Facility, to reduce the risk of delays, and bring forward the subsequent deployment of reliable fusion power on a large scale. As soon as resources (money & manpower) allow, the EU should set up a ‘DEMO design team’ with substantial industrial involvement. The design would guide the present R&D plan and the ITER programme. The team should consider whether to move directly to a ‘new paradigm’ of construction of an early relatively low performance DEMOnstrator Power Plant without waiting for (full) results from ITER and IFMIF. The group should also evaluate the potential of a CTF, and if it seems desirable design a CTF.

A possible early DEMO (‘EDEMO’) – What? Why? The ‘canonical’ DEMO which would follow ITER and IFMIF is supposed to demonstrate electricity production, with performance (plasma, availability, materials, cost/kW-hr) close to that required for a commercial fusion power station. We suggest considering the less ambitious goal of demonstrating electricity production as soon as possible with plasma performance ~ ITER and known materials (ferritic steel) in a device that might initially be pulsed ( ~ 10 hours). Such a device could (assuming design and a vigorous R&D programme start next year) demonstrate electricity production in ~ 20 years We believe that, building on results from ITER, IFMIF, JT60-SA, FDF,…EDEMO could be followed by high performance ‘commercial’ fusion power stations without an intermediate step

We think early/major involvement of industry is needed to bring a stronger culture of ‘design for buildabilty, operability, reliability and maintainability’ into fusion The lesson of fission is that availability is more important than any other parameter (except the discount rate), and studies of fusion power costs suggest that the same will be true of fusion Currently we are developing (or planning to develop) Plasma physics at existing devices, ITER, JT-60-SA,… Materials in parallel at IFMIF Technology/reliability in a ‘just in time/just enough’ manner for ITER… Designing/Building EDEMO (with industry) would put us on a parallel track in attacking all three sets of problems

CONCLUDING REMARKS Europe has an excellent fusion programme, but It could/should be strengthened. My group thinks* we should bring industry into a large (E)DEMO design team, as soon as possible, and consider building a EDEMO. Whether EDEMO would be justified will require a lot of detailed work and debate. * Note: the presentation of the argument is my responsibility, our conclusions have not yet been discussed outside the group, and are not official EU policy The fact that we can talk of demonstrating electricity production by fusion in 30 (perhaps 20) years rests on the major progress made in recent decades, to which General Atomics has been an outstanding contributor