“TECNALIA has approved more than 40 welding and brazing procedures”
In the south of France, in the town of Cadarache, one of the most ambitious scientific projects ever undertaken by mankind is under construction: ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)
This gigantic reactor has been designed to demonstrate that it is possible to generate clean, safe energy through nuclear fusion, the same process that powers the sun.
TECNALIA in the ITER ecosystem
More than 35 countries are collaborating in this international effort, including Spain, which is contributing knowledge and technology through more than 50 companies.
- In this ecosystem, TECNALIA is working with AVS to develop innovative solutions in advanced materialsand manufacturing and joining technologies that will make it possible to meet the technical challenges of the project.
- Together with AVS, we have manufactured, validated and delivered two of the three components of the MITICA system, a full-scale prototype of the ITER neutral beam injectors, which are essential for operating the nuclear reactor, which will generate energy through fusion.
TECNALIA has been responsible for approving, making, and validating the joints in these structures. Over 40 welding and brazing procedures have been approved for this purpose, and have been adapted to the different sub-components. Some of these components have thousands of dissimilar material joints that are in hard-to-reach places, proof of our commitment to quality and exacting precision in every detail.
The project enters its decisive phase
ITER will also act as a test bed for producing tritium, an isotope that is essential for fusion, and this will open the door to future commercial plants that could be operational in the decades to come. Despite technical challenges and delays, the project is moving towards its decisive phase, with the goal of powering up the reactor within the next few years.
- Fusion is the only energy source that is clean, safe, abundant and energy-dense.
- ITER represents a crucial step towards a more sustainable energy future, and TECNALIA is part of this historic transformation.
