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Background Information and Reviews of the U. S. and World Fusion Programs

• KSTAR achieves first plasma milestone - (July 15, Korea) This major achievement is the first success story on the operation of a superconducting fusion research device using Nb3Sn magnets, the same superconducting magnet technology as ITER.  Korea has now become one of the leading countries in world fusion research by operating a prominent experimental facility to support preparation for ITER Operation. Photographic sequence of KSTAR plasma discharge.  July 14, 2008
  
• Korea a Step Closer to Ultimate Energy Source The Korea Times July 15, 2008
  
• SKorean fusion reactor takes step forward: scientists PhysicOrg July 15, 2008
• DOE issues Request for Proposal (RFP) to award a contract for the management and operation of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). July 4, 2008 
• ITER Project to receive $15.5M of the $62.5M approved for the Ofice of Science in the Supplemental Appropriations Bill for FY2008.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason said Wednesday the supplemental funding will be used to keep the U.S. team together and sustain operations until the 2009 budget is approved. July 3, 2008
• ITER Costs Give Partners Pause – Last week, ITER scientists revealed a new cost estimate for the multibillion-dollar fusion reactor that was 30% higher than earlier calculations. Now the project’s seven international partners must decide whether they can afford it.  Science June 26, 2008 June 26, 2008
• US Congressional Action on Fusion Appropriations for FY 2008 and FY2009
  
• US House of Representatives Supplemental Appropriations Bill for FY 2008 prevents staff layoffs and furloughs at Office of Science Labs but does not explicitly provide help for ITER. June 21, 2008
• The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee passed their FY09 Energy and Water Development funding bill.  "the Department is directed to provide the Committee with a report no later than March 1, 2009 which describes a bold, credible plan for a world-leading U.S. fusion program as this area becomes an increasingly international endeavor."  June 23, 2008
• ITER Council Meeting on June 17-18 in Aomori, Japan to hear report on ITER Design Review -
• ITER Gains Momentum - Official Press release from the ITER Council meeting,  The Council approved the new Project Specification proposed by the ITER Organization.  The Council also agreed, for planning purposes, to the revised Overall Project Schedule with a target date of 2018 for first plasma. A delay of two years relative to the previous first plasma date. The Council received the revised Project Plan and Resource Estimates from the ITER Organization, and agreed that the resource estimates should be independently assessed by an international group of experts.  June 17-18, 2008 June 18, 2008
• Design Changes Will Increase ITER Reactor's Cost - Science June 12, 2008, June 12, 2008
• Fusion reactor faces cost hike according to unofficial information, Nature June 12, 2008, June 12, 2008
• ORNL Stellarator - Death of a Dream,  Knoxville News Sentinel June 12, 2008
• DOE announces Cancellation of Princeton Fusion Experiment- DOE Under Secretary Ray Orbach told Princeton University officials today that DOE is closing the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) construction project. May 22, 2008
• Princeton fusion experiment axed Knoxville News Sentinel, May 21, 2008
• Energy Department Pulls Plug on Overbudget Fusion Experiment, Science, May 29. 2008
• PPPL to phase out compact stellarator experiment, upgrade spherical torus program, Princeton University, May 22, 2008
• U.S. orders shutdown of fusion energy project at Forrestal,  Princeton Packet, June 3, 2008
  
• US stellarator aborted Physics Today, July 3, 2008
  
• Nobel laureates urge President Bush to request emergency supplemental FY 08 funding of at least $310 million for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science; $170 million for the National Science Foundation; and $30 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to avoid damage to basic science research in the US.  This would include funds to support the US committment for the construction of ITER. May 9, 2008
• America’s Energy Future a two-day workshop (March 13-14) hosted by NAS and NAE had presentations by U.S. government officials and leading energy experts. The event will inform the ongoing study “America’s Energy Future: Technology Opportunities, Risks, and Tradeoffs.”   March 15, 2008, posted April 9, 2008
• National Academy of Engineering releases report on Grand Challenges for Engineering - Fourteen Grand Challenges have been identified including provide energy from fusion. February 23, 2008
• AAAS Annual Meeting Science and Technology from a Global Perspective Feb 14-18, 2008, Boston MA  
• Progress in Magnetic Fusion Energy Research: 50 Years of International Collaboration and Future Prospects - Symposium organized by M. Porkolab (MIT Cambridge, MA) and B. Ripin (Research Applied, Bethesda, MD)
  
• Fusion Research: 50 Years of International Scientific Collaboration - Evgeny P. Velikhov, Kurchatov Institute, Russian Federation February 20, 2008
• Fusion Power, and Who Needs It? An Updated Assessment - Predhiman Kaw, Institute of Plasma Research, India
• U.S. International Collaboration in Fusion Research and Participation in the ITER Project - Raymond Fonck, U.S. Department of Energy
• International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA): A paradigm for international collaboration in science - Ron Stambaugh, General Atomics, USA
• Advances in Technology To Realize Fusion Energy in the International Context - Kathryn McCarthy, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
• Strengthening and Accelerating the Development of Fusion Energy - Chris Llewellyn Smith, UKAEA, Culham, UK
  
• High-Powered Lasers: Fusion Ignition and Concomitant Scientific Opportunities - Symposium organized by Richard N Boyd, LLNL and Karl van Bibber, LLNL 
• Basics of Inertial Confinement Fusion - John Lindl, LLNL, USA February 20, 2008
• OMEGA Extended Performance Laser System Project - Robert McCrory, University of Rochester, USA
• National Ignition Facility: Ushering in a New Era for Experimental Science - Edward Moses,  LLNL, USA
• Fast Ignition Realization Experiment Project - Hiroshi Azechi, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
• High-Power Laser for Energy Research Project - Mike Dunne, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, United Kingdom
• High Energy Density Science with High-Powered Lasers - Raymond Jeanloz, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
  
• President's budget for FY 2009 has been released. DOE's budget is proposed at $24,725M slightly up from the FY 2008 estimate of $24,501M. The DOE Office of Science budget for FY 2009 is proposed at $4,722M up from FY 2008 estimate of $3,973 M by 18.8%.  The US ITER budget for FY 2009 is proposed at $214M up from the FY 2008 estimate of $10.6M.  The Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High Yield Campaign budget for FY 2008 is $470M and $421M is proposed for FY 2009.  February 4, 2008
• Analysis of Science Budgets in President's 2009 Proposal - ScienceNOW February 5, 2008 
• National Nuclear Security Administration (including Inertial Fusion) February 4, 2008 
• Office of Science Budget Request details includes fusion details  February 4, 2008
• Overview of Science Budget Orbach VG    February 4, 2008
• Summary of Fusion Orbach- 2 VG  February 4, 2008
• Summary of Fusion Energy Sciences Fonck VG  February 5, 2008
  
• Overview of Science and Fusion FY 2009 Budgets February 4, 2008
• Overview of DOE FY 2009 Budget  February 4, 2008
• DOE FY 2007 Budget Documentation February 4, 2008
  
• Impact of Omnibus FY 2008 Appropriations Bill on US Science January16, 2008
• Orbach Interview on Impact of Budget Cuts on US Science - ScienceNOW January16, 2008
• DOE Outlines Plan for Near Term Plan for US ITER Participation January11, 2008
• US physics begins to crumble under budget strain, New Scientist January 8, 2008
• The DOE Science Budget section of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill December 18, 2007
  
• Reaction From Capitol Hill to FY 2008 S&T Funding Levels -American Institute of Physics, Jan 5, 2008
• Congressman Ehlers’ Statement on Federal Science Spending, December 21, 2007
• ITER: Looking Back, Looking Ahead - history of FY 2008 budget for fusion. American Institute of Physics, Jan 4, 2008
  
• Statement of APS Divison of Plasma Physics Officers , December 2007
• US Fusion Program Leaders Protest ITER Budget Cuts January 4, 2008
• Energy Project(ITER) Down but not Out, Senator Lamar Alexander Pledges help, January 5, 2008
  
• Statement by Fermi Lab Director on Impact of Budget Cuts, streaming video, Dec 20, 2007
• Durbin, Obama, Biggert Call On Bush Administration To Increase Funding At Fermilab, Dec 21, 2007
  
• "Britain's Sputnik", 50 years ago Britain Announced Breakthrough Results from ZETA - BBC News, January16, 2008
• A History of Britain's Attempts at Nuclear Fusion - Broadcast on BBC Radio 4, January16, 2008
• Budget blow to US science - The DOE Office of Science FY 2008 budget took big hits. Although its total science budget grew 4.6% to $4 billion, most of those increases were for supercomputers and biological research. Congress withheld (all) money for the energy department’s $160-million commitment to ITER, the international fusion reactor in France, and slashed funding for the International Linear Collider (ILC), the next-generation particle accelerator, from $60 million to $15 million. pdf Nature December 24, 2007
• U.S. Wavers Again on ITER - ITER Principal Deputy Director and ITER participants react to dramatic cuts in the US ITER budget for 2008.  ScienceNOW  December 22, 2007
• Congressional Omnibus 2008 Appropriations Bill Zeroes US ITER Funding- The bill set the budget at DOE's Office of Science at $4.055 billion--$342 million short of the requested amount--and the shortfall comes mainly out of two programs: fusion sciences and high-energy physics. Congress realized some savings by allotting nothing for U.S. participation in the international fusion reactor experiment, ITER, which is set to begin construction next year in Cadarache, France (ScienceNOW, 21 November 2006). Although appropriators expressly forbid DOE to shuffle money from other programs to satisfy its planned $149 million contribution in 2008, Marburger predicts that the prohibition will not stand. "I can't see DOE not living up to its obligations," he says. "The department will have to use its money to stay in the project, so [the language] really just amounts to another earmark." ScienceNOW December 19, 2007
• Fusion Power Associates holds Annual Meeting on "Fusion Energy: Preparing for the NIF and ITER Era" at ORNL Dec 4-5, 2007. December 6, 2007
• US National Academy to Review Planning for US Participation in ITER Science - The first meeting of the review panel will be December 14-15, 2007 in Washington, DC.  November 29, 2007
• Historic First ITER Council meeting held in Cadarache November 27-28, 2007 - The ITER Council is the supervisory body of the ITER Organization, responsible for the overall direction of its activities. The Director General and Deputies were formally apointed.  The Director-General reported on the progress of the project since the July 2007 meeting of the Interim ITER Council. Record of Discussion and list of participants can be obtained fron the ITER.  November 28, 2007
• 49th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society, Divison of Plasma Physics highlighted recent progress in fusion research. November 28, 2007
  • Maxwell Prize Address
    • The Development of Indirect Drive ICF and the Countdown to Ignition Experiments on the NIF - J Lindl, NIF, LLNL
  • Review Talks
    • Gyrokinetic Theory and Simulation of Experiments - G. W. Hammett, PPPL
    • Progress in Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Research - R. L. McCrory, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Plasma Physics Challenges of MM-to-THz and High Power Microwave Generation - J. H. Booske, Univ Wisc, ECE
    • Alfvén Instabilities Driven by Energetic Particles in Toroidal Magnetic Fusion - W. W. Heidbrink, UC Irvine
  • Invited Talks
    • Performance of Direct-Drive Cryogenic Targets on OMEGA - V. N. Goncharov, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics
  • Tutorial Talks
    • Multiscale Physics Challenges for Plasma-Facing Materials - N.M. Ghoniem (UCLA) and B. Wirth (UCB)
    • The Scientific Challenge of Burning Plasmas - J. W. Van Dam, USBPO and IFS Univ of Texas
  • University Fusion Association Meeting
    • Fusion Energy Sciences Program Update - S. Eckstrand, OFES, DOE
      
    • FESAC Planning Panel Report - M. Greenwald, MIT, Plasma Science and Fusion Center
  • ITER Design Review Session (also available at US Burning Plasma Organization web site)
    • The Status of ITER; The ITER Design Review - G. Janeschitz, FZK-PL-Fusion, Karlsruhe, Germany
    • Burning Plasma Organization Input to ITER Design Review - R. J. Hawryluk, PPPL
    • BPO Input to the ITER Design Review for In-vessel Components and Discharge Evolution - R. D. Stambaugh, GA
• GAO submits report on Fusion called for in the conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2006 Energy and Water Development appropriation bill. It requested "The GAO shall consider any other magnetic fusion confinement system as a possible fusion demonstration facility that will follow ITER and, given the NNSA investment in the physics of inertial confinement fusion, the GAO shall evaluate the opportunities for the Office of Science to develop the appropriate science and technology to leverage the NNSA investments as an alternative to the tokamak concept." October 28, 2007
• ITER Project is now a Legal Entity and Open for Business - The International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) is depositary of the ITER Agreement and has confirmed that ITER entered into force today - 30 days after having received the confirmation of adoption of the Agreement from all Parties according to their national laws and practice. The EU, acting on the basis of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, confirmed its adoption of the ITER Agreement to the IAEA on 5 February 2007. The first session of the ITER Council is scheduled for 27 and 28 November 2007. October 24, 2007
• US Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee met October 23-24, 2007 to receive and discuss reports on the Fusion Simulation Project, Research Issues and Gaps for DEMO and NCSX Prorgram. These panel reports are available as drafts and should not be quoted until finalized. October 24, 2007
  • Fusion Simulation Project, - W. Tang, PPPL, Chair
  • Priorities, GAPs and Opportunities Towards a Long Range Strategic Plan for Magnetic Fusion Energy - M Greenwald, MIT, Chair
  • NCSX Program Review - R. Hazeltine, UTexas, Chair
• South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Friday that South Korea will grow into one of the world's top five countries in nuclear fusion energy technology by 2021 and start commercial generation of electricity from nuclear fusion by 2040. KSTAR construction milestone ceremony on September 14th in Daejon, Korea. The design of KSTAR , a fully superconducting advanced tokamak, was initiated in 1995. The KSTAR design is based on the US TPX design, and many featues were modified to make the design suitable for the Korean location. The target date for first plasma is mid 2008. New September 14, 2007
• FESAC Charged to Review the NCSX Project - In response to significant NCSX Project cost over runs and schedule delays, Ray Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science has charged the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee to conduct a scientific and programmatic review focused on evaluating the NCSX program and its potential effect on the U.S. fusion energy sciences program. The panel's first meeting will be at PPPL on September 15-16, and the report is due October 23, 2007. New September 12, 2007
• The second meeting of the Interim ITER Council (IIC) took place on 11 and 12 July in Tokyo, under the Chairmanship of Sir Christopher Llewellyn Smith, CCE-EU Chairman (EU).The IIC recognized the progress being made and gave direction on a number of specific points, including the plans and detailed staffing and cost estimates for the construction phase, specific aspects of the management system and proposed agreements on relations with French authorities and with other international organizations, the IAEA, and CERN. The IIC also endorsed a proposed partnership arrangement with the Principality of Monaco. July 12, 2007
• The Committee on Appropriations of the U. S. Senate has approved a bill to fund the U. S. Department of Energy in FY 2008 (which begins October 1, 2007). For Fusion Energy Sciences, the Committee recommends, $427,85,000. Key differences in the two bills passed so far are (1) House bill deletes funds requested for High Energy Density Physics but Senate bill endorses program; (2) House bill includes funding for High Average Power Laser program but Senate bill does not. Details of the Senate language can be found at Fusion Power Note - FPN07-40. July 5, 2007
• The Committee on Appropriations of the U. S. House of Representatives has approved a bill to fund the U. S. Department of Energy in FY 2008. The bill provides OFES the full funding requested by the President, but specifies that funds requested for High Energy Density Physics be transferred to other elements of the OFES program. The bill provides NNSA funds for the Naval Research Laboratory ($15M) and High Average Power Lasers ($25M) not requested by the DOE and other increases above the President's request. The complete language of the bill. (use search function for fusion) and summary of fusion related sections(Fusion Power Note 07-035). June 21, 2007
• Nation needs to focus on Plasma Science - The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science should reorient its research programs to promote plasma science research and create a focal point for federal efforts in that field, says a new report from the National Research Council. Breakthroughs in plasma science have the potential to enhance national and economic security, energy production, and general scientific knowledge. The full report is available at the NRC web page Plasma 2010: An Assessment of and Outlook for Plasma Science. May 29, 2007
• Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) Operations Terminated 10 Years ago - The construction of TFTR was started in March 1976 as part of a major US Energy R&D effort in response to the Gulf oil embargo of the mid-1970s. During the 8 year period from 1974 to 1982, the US fusion budget grew from $57M to $461M - an eight fold increase. TFTR was the first of the three large tokamaks (TFTR, JET and JT-60) beginning operation in December 24, 1982. For the next 15 years, TFTR operation defined the frontier of fusion research. In 1996, the US fusion budget was cut 35% forcing a restructuring of the US fusion program that resulted in the premature termination of TFTR on April 4, 1997 after 15 years of operation. TFTR achieved all of the original 1976 technical project goals of: 1. Study plasma physics of large tokamaks, 2. Gain experience with reactor scale engineering, 3. Demonstrate D-T fusion energy production (1 to 10 MJ per pulse), and made numerous contributions including:
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to achieve power plant fuel temperature of 200 million ° C (20 kev) (1986), and ultimately a record 510 million° C (45kev) (1995)
  • First observation of the "bootstrap current" in a tokamak, a self generated current that is the key feature of steady-state tokamak fusion power plants (1986)
  • First direct measurements of long wavelength turbulence that formed the basis for an improved theoretical modeling of turbulence (1990)
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to use fusion power plant fuel mixture of 50% deuterium (D) and 50% tritium (T) (1993)
  • First magnetic fusion experiment to produce fusion power exceeding 10 million watts (1994)
  • Record peak plasma pressure of 6 atm in a D-T plasma, higher than that expected in ITER. (1994)
  • Record fusion power densities of 0.3 million watts per cubic meter comparable to the 0.5 MW/m3 expected in ITER (1994)
  • First experimental observation of the "enhanced reversed shear" confinment mode that is now a key feature of steady-state tokamak power plant concepts. (1994)
  • First demonstration of radio frequency heating of a D-T plasma using second harmonic tritium resonance, 1994.
  • First observation of neoclassical tearing modes that limit output of high performance fusion plasmas (1995)
  • First unambiguous measurements of self-heating by alpha particles in a DT fusion plasma (1995)
  • First demonstration of mode conversion heating in a D-T plasma, 1995.
  • First measurements of instabilities excited by fusion alpha particles (1996).
  • First to identify and quantify the retention of tritium in graphite plasma facing components as a major issue for fusion power plants using trace tritium (1989) and 50/50 DT (1995)
  • First closed cycle processing of tritum on a fusion experiment using 50% deuterium (D) and 50% tritium (T) (Feb 1997)
  • TFTR engineering systems operated above the original design ratings for toroidal field and neutral beam power.
  • About 1 million curies of tritium was handled safely over a three year period during over 1,000 DT experiments.
  • The total cost of the TFTR program (design, construction, operation and decommissioning ) was $1.65 B.
  • The US fusion program expended $2.5 B during the past 10 years. April 4, 2007
• EU Finance Ministers form EU Domestic Agency fo ITER - The European Domestic Agency will be based in Barcelona, Spain and has a budget of ¤9.6 billion. During its 35 year lifetime, it will provide the contribution of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) to the ITER organisation, as well as Euratom's contribution to the 'broader approach' activities with Japan for the rapid realisation of fusion energy. March 29, 2007
• Former Vice President Al Gore testified to a Joint House Science and Commerce Subcommittee meetiing at 10:00 am March 21, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee at 2:30 pm. A video archive is available on the Senate web page and expected to be available on the House or C-SPAN3 web page. New York Times account of Gore testimony. March 21, 2007
• Head of DOE Fusion Energy Science Office Announced - Steenbock Professor of Engineering Physics Raymond Fonck has been named Associate Director for Fusion Energy Sciences and will formally assume the position on March 1. The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) met March 1-2 in Gaithersburg, MD to discuss the proposed FY 2008 budget and the new Charge from DOE Under Secretary Orbach. February 28, 2007
  • Agenda
  • New Charge
  • Presentations
• AAAS President John P. Holdren Urges Swift Action to Build a Sustainable Future at AAAS Annual Meeting on Sustainability - February 18, 2007
• EU Energy Ministers Approve Draft Energy Plan - Plan calls for energy consumption reduction of 20% compared to Commission Green Paper projections for 2020, and a target of a 20 % share of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020; This was part of the preparations for the Spring European Council on 8-9 March and a step forward for European energy policy. UK Environmental Minister calls for 30% reduction in harmful gas emissions by 2020. February 18, 2007
• International team releases cost estimate for the International Linear Collider (ILC) - Science Feb 8, 2007 - The total cost of the 35 kilometer long accelerator would be $15B if costed according to US project rules. The draft ILC Reference Design Report 2007 describes details such as cost estimates. Posted February 15, 2007
• Today (February 5, 2007), Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Hugh Richardson, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission to Japan, signed the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the European Atomic Energy Community for the Joint Implementation of the Broader Approach Activities in the Field of Fusion Energy Research in Tokyo. The Broader Approach is an example of the Multi-Machine Strategy proposed for the past decade in the U.S. February 5, 2007.
• President's budget for FY 2008 has been released. DOE's budget is proposed at $23,043M about the same as the FY 2007 estimate of $23,092M. The DOE Office of Science budget for FY 2008 is proposed at $4,398M up from FY 2007 estimate of $3.605 M. The FY 2008 budget for ITER is $160 M up from $60 M proposed for FY 2007. February 5, 2007.
  • Details of the President's FY 2008 budget for DOE
  • Office of Science FY 2008 budget Overview Vgs
  • Office of Science FY 2008 budget Summary
  • Office of Fusion Energy Science FY 2008 budget Overview Vgs
  • Office of Fusion Energy Sciences FY 2008 Budget detailed description and justification.

  	FY 2007($M) Estimate	FY2008 ($M) Request	Increase ($M)	Increase (%)
  Workforce Development	7	11	4	57.1
  Advanced Computing	236	340	104	44.1
  Basic Energy Sciences	1,199	1499	300	25
  Nuclear Physics	397	471	74	18.6
  Fusion Energy Science	306	428	122	39.9
  High Energy Physics	733	782	49	6.7
  Biology and Environment	473	532	59	12.5
  Science Lab Infrastructure	43	79	36	83.7
  Security and Safeguards	68	71	3	6.9
  Program Direction	164	186	22	13.4
  Office of Science	3,626	4,398	772	21.3

• IPCC 2007 Report Blames Humans for Climate Change -BBC News - Global climate change is "very likely" to have a human cause, an influential group of scientists has concluded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (Summary Report) said temperatures were probably going to increase by 1.8-4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century. It also projected that sea levels were most likely to rise by 28-43cm, and global warming was likely to influence the intensity of tropical storms. February 2, 2007
• US Science Research severely impacted by FY2007 Appropriations Continuing Resolution
  • House Votes to Increase FY 2007 DOE Science, NSF, NIST Funding February 1, 2007
  • DOE Outlines "Critical Impacts" of Flat Funding on Science and Other Programs AIP January 18, 2007
  • Biggert, Taucher and Holt lead the effort in Congress to restore DOE Office of Science Funding January 18, 2007
  • Congressional Budget Delay Stymies Scientific Research W. Broad, NY Times January 10, 2007
• ITER Organization gets the go-ahead - Nov 21, 2006 Today, Ministers from the seven Parties of the international nuclear fusion project ITER (China, European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) came together to sign the agreement to establish the international Organization that will implement the ITER fusion energy project. The signature took place at a ceremony at the Elysée Palace in Paris and was hosted by the President of the French Republic M. Jacques Chirac and by the President of the European Commission, M. José Manuel Durão Barroso. The signed documents were formally handed over to the representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to be deposited with the Director General of the IAEA.The first meeting of the Interim ITER Council takes place at Ministerial level after the signing ceremony, under the chairmanship of Janez Potonik, European Commissioner for Science and Research. This constitutes the first act of the newly established ITER Organization. With the signature of the ITER Agreement and the first Council meeting, the ITER Organization can start its operation on a provisional basis pending the entry into force of the agreement which is expected in the course of 2007. (ITER Project Fact Sheet)
  • U.S. Signs International Fusion Energy Agreement - DOE Press Release
  • United States Signs International Fusion Energy Agreement - US State Department Nov 25
  • Remarks on behalf of the French Government - Mr Jacques Chirac President of the French Republic Nov 25
  • Remarks on Behalf of the US Government - Dr Raymond Orbach, DOE Under Secretary for Science
  • Remaks on Behalf of the European Commission - Janez Potoãnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research Nov 25
  • Remaks on Behalf of the Chinese Government - Prof. Xu Guanhua, Minister of Science and Technology of China Nov 25
  • Remaks on Behalf of the Japanese Government - Mr. Iwaya, the Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Nov 25
  • ITER Pact Signed in Paris -TASS
  • FRANCE,Six Nations Sign Accord on $12.9 Billion ITER Project - Bloomberg
  • ITER Pact Signed - Reuters
  • States Sign Nuclear Energy Pact - BBC News
  • Q&A: Nuclear Fusion Reactor -- BBC News
  • Our Emperors have no Clothes - Nature Nov 30
  • A White-Hot Elephant - Economist Nov 23 Nov 25
  • ITER Fusion Reactor gets Final Approval - PhysWeb
• ITER Agreement to be signed in Paris on November 21st - On the 21st of November, Ministers from the seven Parties of the international nuclear fusion project ITER (China, European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) will come together to sign the agreement to establish the international Organization that will implement the ITER fusion energy project. The signature will take place at a ceremony at the Elysée Palace in Paris, hosted by the President of the French Republic M. Jacques Chirac and by the President of the European Commission, M. José Manuel Durão Barroso. After the signature ceremony, the first meeting of the Interim ITER Council will take place. (ITER News) November 20, 2006
• Nuclear fusion: A necessary investment - Kaname Ikeda, ITER Director General Nominee November 17, 2006
• 1st ITER PROJECT VENDOR INFORMATION FORUM will be held November 15, 2006 at Museum in Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Tennessee November 9, 2006
• 48th Annual meeting of the APS-DPP being held in Philadelphia Oct 30 - Nov 3. November 2, 2006
  • American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) Town Meeting
    • OSTP Perspective on ACI - Diane Jones, OSTP
    • Rising Above the Gathering Storm - Richard Bissell, NRC
  • Nuclear Fission and Fusion Power Miniconference
    • Nuclear Energy Present and Future - I. Hutchinson
    • Nuclear Energy's Renaissance - A. Kadak
    • Historic Growth and Atrophy of Nuclear Fission, Lessons for Fusion - M. Haynes
    • Key Technological Challenges for Fission Reactors, and what it means for Fusion - D. Petti
    • Prospects for Attractive Fusion Power - F. Najmabadi
    • The Fusion Hybrid - W. Manheimer
    • Fusion Energy - How to realize it Sooner with less Risk - J. Sethian
    • Role of Advanced Fuels and Innovative Concepts - J. Santarius
  • Town Meeting on ITER Progress
    • Status of ITER - N. Holtkamp
    • US ITER Project, Providing a Facility for Burning Plasma Research - N. Sauthoff
    • US Burning Plasma Organization Development - R. Fonck
  • University Fusion Association Annual Meeting
    • UFA Activities - G. Navratil
    • OFES Program - S. Eckstrand
    • US Burning Plasma Organization Development - R. Fonck
• Climate change fight 'can't wait' (BBC) The world cannot afford to wait before tackling climate change, the UK prime minister has warned October 31, 2006
  • Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change -A report by economist Sir Nicholas Stern suggests that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20%.
• 21st Fusion Energy Meeting in Chengdu China Highlights Fusion Progress and Preparation for ITER October 22, 2006
• EAST has successfully achieved the first plasma discharge - Hefei , China - After successful engineering commissioning in March 2006, EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) has achieved first plasma with plasma current up to 220 kA. This has demonstrated that EAST construction has been completed successfully. EAST is the first tokamak in operation with all superconducting coils at mega-ampere scale. It will be a unique facility to explore some critical issues relating to steady-state operation with shaped plasma cross-section in the next few years. September 29, 2006
• European Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry and Research) Council will meet on September 25, 2006 in Brussells to: discuss and attain political agreement on 7th Framework programme, EC (2007-2013), 7th Framework programme, EURATOM (2007-2011) and attain possible political agreement on rules of participation for 7th Framework programme (EC and Euratom) , and possibly decide on the creation of a European legal entity for ITER and Conclusion of an international agreement on implementation of ITER.
  • Council approves conclusion of the ITER international agreement for fusion energy September 25, 2006
  • EU to build experimental fusion reactor September 25, 2006
• Plans for ITER and Supporting Activities presented at the 24th Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT), Warsaw, Poland Sept 11-15 September 14, 2006
  • Status of ITER - N. Holtkamp - (Agreement signing Nov 21, Design Review on Dec 12-15, site prep, organization formation, funding profiles)
  • System engineering and configuration control management in ITER  - P. Barabaschi September 24, 2006
  • EU-JA Broader Approach - S. Matsuda- (funding agreement, IFMIF, JT-60SA)
  • EAST Project Status - S. Wu
  • JT-60SA towards ITER and DEMO relevant plasmas - H. Tamai
  • Review of Nb3Sn conductors for ITER - D. Ciazynski September 18, 2006
  • Status of Wendelstein 7-X Construction F. Schauer September 24, 2006
  • Engineering Challenges in Designing an Attractive Compact Stellarator Power Plant - R. Raffray September 18, 2006
  • Development, simulation and testing of structural materials for DEMO - R. Laesser September 18, 2006
  • Tungsten as First Wall Material in Fusion Devices - M. Kaufmann September 18, 2006
  • The Contribution of Fusion to Sustainable Development - D. Ward September 18, 2006
  • Technology and Plasma Physics Developments needed for DEMO - K. Lackner September 18, 2006
• US ITER Management team has been named (OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 17, 2006) - A team of scientists and engineers has been chosen to manage the United States' role in a multinational project to harness the power of fusion. The US ITER Project plans will be reviewed by DOE September 24-28. The overall ITER project will have a design status/review meeting in mid November. It is anticipated that the ITER parties will sign the ITER Implementing Agreement on November 21, 2006. August 17, 2006
• Reexaming Fusion Power - Three letters to the Editor of Science Magazine and two letters submitted to Science but not published. Posted July 22, 2006
  • Present fusion reactor designs have addressed issues raised by critics according to Professors F. Najmabadi and C. Baker. Submitted March 15, 2006
  • Science critique of fusion not based on most recent fusion power plant designs, says Fusion Power Associates President. Submitted March 15, 2006
  • Fusion Power: Will It Ever Come? -Science - The practicality of fusion power engineering is challenged posthumously by W. Parkins in a replay of the 1996-1997 debates on fusion and ITER. see March 9, 2006
• ITER Deputy Directors Nominated at ITER Preparatory Committee (IPC) meeting at Cadarache on July 13. The IPC approved the proposal from the ITER Director General nominee Ikeda for nominees to fill ITER Deputy Director positions. The nominees for ITER Deputy Directors (Photos) are: Carlos ALEJANDRE (DDG for Safety and Security ) EU/Spain, Valery Alekseevich CHUYANOV (DDG for Fusion Science and Technology) RF, WANG Shaoqi (DDG for Administration) CN, Gary Johnson (DDG for Tokamak) US,Yong Hwan KIM (DDG for Central Engineering and Plant Support) KO and Dhiraj BORA (DDG for CODAC, Heating & Current Drive System and Diagnostics) IN. and (Press Release and Resume)The next major milestone is to authorize the project when the parties "sign" the ITER Implementing Agreement in the November 2006 time frame. July 13, 2006
• EU's 7th framework Budget has been settled and the EU fusion program budget (2007-2013) is 1.947 BEuro. This framework fusion budget is about twice the previous framework's budget. Roughly 50% of the community budget is for ITER construction; This budget will cover both ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy and Broader Approach (JT-60SA, IFMIF-EVEDA, IFERC). The overall program is called "European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy". July 6, 2006
• FY 2007 Budget for fusion passed by Senate Appropriations Committee -Press release with emphasis on NNSA "For Fusion Energy Sciences, the Committee recommends $307,001,000. This program advances plasma science, fusion science, and fusion technology through collaborations among U.S. universities, industry and national research laboratories, and the international fusion community. Consistent with Budget descriptions, the Committee has shifted $11,949,000 provided for High Energy Density Science to the new office within the Department of Energy." July 1, 2006
• The European Parliament adopts second report on the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) for nuclear research and training activities (2007-2011) with 457:97:22 votes). The overall budget of this programme will be ¤2751 million, compared to the original Commissions proposal of ¤3,092 million. Euratom indirect actions are managed by the Commission's Directorate-General for Research (DG RTD). The specific programmes allocates EUR 1,947 million to research into fusion energy and EUR 287 million for nuclear fission and radiation protection. EUR 517 million are reserved for nuclear activities of the JRC. July 1, 2006
• ITER Director General Nominee Describes Plans for ITER at European Physics Conference June 22, 2006
• US White House Report on 2006 U.S.-EU Summit - Joint cooperation on energy security has started with the aim of improving reliability of energy supplies by increasing diversification, making better use of renewable energy sources, using energy more efficiently and cooperating to encourage improved energy security policies in third countries. The U.S. and EU have held four joint workshops on energy technologies, efficiency and alternative fuels. An agreement on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor was initialed in May 2006 and will be signed at the Fall ITER Ministerial meeting. June 22, 2006
• ITER pioneers receive prestigious Russian energy prize On the 13 June in Saint Petersburg, three pioneers of the international fusion project ITER received the Russian prize Global Energy from Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The laureates ‚ Russian academician Evgeniy Velikhov, Japanese Dr. Masaji Yoshikawa and French Dr. Robert Aymar, received the award for their contributions to the development of the scientific and technological foundation of the ITER project. June 13, 2006
• European Commission presents Final report on ITER negotiations for Council decision June 10, 2006
• US Physicists Persevere In Quest For Inexhaustible Energy Source The largest fusion-energy experiment ever conducted, ITER is the culmination of years of research by scores of scientists, and is poised to answer long-standing questions about the real-world viability of fusion energy. Science Daily May 31, 2006
• ITER Parties Initial Joint Implementing Agreement. With this major milestone passed, each of the Parties will submit the Agreement and related documents to their respective authorities in order to secure the authorisation to sign the Agreement. A process the Parties' representatives said they hoped "will be completed by the end of 2006 so that actual construction can start in 2007." May 24, 2006
  • Europa Press Release and Participants - Photo
  • Remarks on Behalf of the US Government - Dr. Ray Orbach, Director Office of Science
  • Agreement Moves ITER Forward - Physics Today July 2006
    • CERN chief rethinks LHC fees -The introduction of a fee to use the LHC is viewed in the US as breaking a deal and opening the floodgates to an unwelcome new paradigm for accessing scientific facilities. (Webmaster note: this is a core issue for the US Congress and could undermine the ITER agreement) Physics Today July 2006
  • Fusion reactor work gets go-ahead - BBC News
  • Nations Agree to Build Fusion Reactor - Washington, Post, AP
  • Seven Nation Group to Pursue Fusion Energy Research Voice of America
  • United States and International Partners Initial ITER Agreement Paves the Way for Large-Scale, Clean Fusion Energy Project, US DOE
  • World's most expensive science experiment - ABC News
  • EU signs ITER deal - Greens Protest- EU Politix
  • ITER -Frequently Asked Questions - Europa
  • EU, U.S., Russia, Asian States Sign Nuclear-Fusion Reactor Pact - Bloomberg News
• Chaos could keep fusion under control A leaky magnetic bottle may prove key to making a reactor. Geoff Brumfiel Nature. May 22, 2006
  • Fusion reactor shows its metal, AFP, ABC Science Online
  • Nuclear fusion plasma problem tackled - Kurt Kleiner , New Scientist
  • Edge stability and transport control with resonant magnetic perturbations in collisionless tokamak plasmas. T. Evans et al, Nature
• Critics pounce on bubble-fusion blunder Nature May 17, 2006
• The new Chinese tokamak, EAST, world's first all superconducting tokamak completes engineering tests. Plasma tests to begin this summer. China is breaking new ground with a fusion test bed that will tide researchers over until the ITER megaproject comes online. Science May 19, 2006
• ITER Implementing Agreement to be Initialed by Ministers of the seven ITER Parties on May 24, 2006 in the European Commission's Berlaymont building in Brussels. May 18, 2006
• FY 2007 Budget for fusion passed by House Appropriations Committee - The Committee provided the full amount requested for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, including full funding for the first year of ITER construction, and provided substantial funds above the President's request for inertial confinement fusion. May 18, 2006
• The 8th Meeting of the ITER Preparatory Committee took place 26/27th April in Goa, with India hosting and chairing for the first time. The meeting addressed how to prepare for the practical implementation of the ITER Joint Implementation Agreement, to be initialed by the Parties' Government representatives on May 24th in Brussels. Posted May 4, 2006
• Iranian Claims to be Building Thermonuclear Reactor are Untrue According to Russian Expert - Izvestia 10 April 2004 April 14, 2006
• ITER Principal Deputy Director General Nominee Named - The representatives for the parties participating in ITER accepted the EU's proposal to designate Dr Norbert Holtkamp as nominee Principal Deputy Director-General of the prospective ITER Organization. Dr Holtkamp is currently director of the Accelerator Systems Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee (USA). With the appointment of Kaname Ikeda as nominee Director-General in November 2005, the top management team of the prospective ITER Organization is now complete. Common message from the 6th Preparatory meeting for ITER decision making. April 1, 2006
• Physics World highlights EU Progress on Preparations for ITER incuding interview with incoming Director General Ikeda and JET plans to address ITER R&D issues.March 16, 2006
• EU Commission issues Green Paper on Energy -A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy. Energy ministers begin debate on EU Energy policy.March 15, 2006
• Fusion Power: Will It Ever Come? -Science - The practicality of fusion power engineering is challenged posthumously by W. Parkins in a replay of the 1996-1997 debates on fusion and ITER. March 9, 2006
  • The Fusion Hybrid as a Response the Paper by Parkins - W Manheimer Feb 9, 2007
  • Science critique of fusion not based on most recent fusion power plant designs, says Fusion Power Associates President March 15, 2006
  • Fusion Power gets slammed - Nature -Fusion reactors are an expensive dream that will never provide economical energy. But supporters say arguments about reactor costs are old hat. March 10, 2006
  • No Future for Fusion Power, says top scientist - New Scientist - Advocates of the technology insist it is too soon to give up, and that great progress has been made. March 10, 2006
  • Technical Response to Criticisms of Magnetic Fusion W. Stacey, Professor of Nuclear Egnieering, Georgia Institue of Technology
• Office of Science submits Five Year Plan to Congress March 6, 2006
  • Office of Science Overall Plan Fusion increases from $319M in FY2007 to $427M in FY2008, and $494M in Fy2009.
  • Office of Fusion Energy Breakout
• European Parliament and Council Clash again over EU Budget - Although a budget deal was made by the Heads of State and Government at the December European Council, the agreement was rejected by the Parliament. 'The Council cuts mean a reduction of 50 per cent, compared to what Parliament proposed.Failure to agree on a budget for the EU as a whole has implications for programmes such as the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7), which will not be implemented on time if the budget cannot been set. March 2, 2006
• US Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) is meeting to review US preparations for participation in ITER. March 1, 2006
• New Chinese All Superconducting Coil Experiment plans first plasma for July 2006 - China has provided the project, dubbed the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), with an investment of 165 million yuan (about 20 million U.S. dollars). March 1, 2006
• US ITER Project Office (USIPO) invites individuals and institutions to nominate US candidates for ITER Deputy Director General (DDG) and other positions on the International Team and on the USIPO Team. Additional information is on the US IPO web page. February 27, 2006
• Japan to Reward South Korea with Construction contracts for ITER Support (AFP) -The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported that Japan has decided to give 20 percent, or about 11 billion yen (93 million dollars), worth of its ITER construction orders to the South Koreans. February 27, 2006
• Accelerator Delay Stuns U.S. Scientists - The Rare Isoptope Accelerator (RIA) ranked third in the DOE Scientific Facilities priority list will be delayed 5 years. Science February 24, 2006
• US Fusion Community carries message to Congress during Fusion Day February 16, 2006 - "We strongly support the decision by the President and the Secretary of Energy to proceed with ITER in collaboration with international partners as the critical next-step towards the development of fusion energy.." The University Fusion Association comprised of 33 Universities warned "However, the Administration's proposed budget for FY2007 would make broad cuts in university research programs seriously damaging U.S. capabilities to benefit from ITER."
  • Fusion Power Associates Notice FPN06-16 February 17, 2006
  • University Fusion Association Position Paper February 17, 2006
  • Large Fusion Program Directors Position Paper February 17, 2006
• European Commission Discusses Implementation of the European Legal Entity for ITER -S. Chatzipanagiotou EU Commission
  • European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy February 15, 2006
  • Personnel needs for ITER and the European Joint Undertaking for ITER February 15, 2006
• DOE Budget for FY 2007 has been released (full budget) February 6, 2006
  • OSTP FY 2007 Budget Presentation - John Marburger February 8, 2006
  • Fusion Energy Sciences FY 2007 Budget Detail
  • Fusion Sciences FY 2007 Budget Presentation - Anne Davies
  • Office of Science FY 2007 Budget Presentation - Ray Orbach
  • Office of Science FY 2007 Budget Detail (includes Magnetic Fusion)
  • Nuclear Power Initiative (follow links for more detail)
  • Nuclear Energy FY 2007 Budget Detail
  • NNSA Weapons Activities FY 2007 Budget (includes Inertial Fusion and NIF)
  • DOE Budget Highlights February 8, 2006
  • Summary of the DOE FY 2007 Budget including the Office of Science
• Details of the President's FY 2007 Budget Request to be revealed today. The Office of Science is proposed for a 14% increase to support the President's American Competitiveness Initiative. February 6, 2006
  

  	FY 2006 ($M) Actual	FY2007 ($M) Request	Increase ($M)	Increase (%)
  Workforce Development	7.2	11.0	3.8	52.8
  Advanced Computing	234.7	318.7	84	35.7
  Basic Energy Sciences	1134.6	1421	286.4	25.2
  Nuclear Physics	367	454.1	87	23.7
  Fusion Energy Science	287.6	319	31.3	10.9
  High Energy Physics	716.7	775.1	58.4	8.1
  Biology and Environment	579.8	510.3	-69.6	-12
  Science Lab Infrastructure	41.7	50.9	9.2	22
  Security and Safeguards	73.6	76.6	3	4
  Program Direction	159.1	170.9	11.8	7.4
  Office of Science	3596	4101	505.3	14.1

• Nuclear Fusion Construction Deal Expected at Russia's G8 Summit MOSCOW, Russia, February 3, 3006 (ENS) - An international agreement on the construction of the ITER international experimental nuclear fusion reactor is expected to be signed during a G8 summit in St. Petersburg in July 2006, said Yevgeny Velikhov, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and president of the Kurchatov Institute research center. February 3, 2006
• U.S. Department of Energy Requests $4.1 Billion Investment As Part of the American Competitiveness Initiative - Fusion budget would be increased by $31 M. A key portion of fusion budget has been allocated to participation in the second year of the ITER project ($60.0 million total), an international fusion experimental reactor. The funding increase supports full participation in ITER, and the balance of the Fusion program is maintained at near FY 2006 levels. February 2, 2006
• U.S. ITER Project Office to moved be from PPPL to ORNL to optimize the roles of the Laboratories. Ned Sauthoff of PPPL is continuing as the US ITER Project Manager, and PPPL will continue to play a major role in the partnership. February 1, 2006
• UK Secretary of State and the Minister for Energy launched the consultation document "Our Energy Challenge: securing clean, affordable energy for the long term" to stimulate a wide-ranging and informed debate on energy policy issues. January 27, 2006
• Time to get Serious about Biofuels - S. Koonin, Chief Scientist for British Petroleum, Ethanol More Energy Efficient Than Previously Thought - A new study reported in Science shows that corn ethanol is a more energy efficient fuel than previously believed, reducing petroleum use by 95 percent per gallon. January 27, 2006
• Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) a new fusion device will start operation in July or August 2006 at the Academia Scinica Institute for Plasma Physics (ASIPP) in Hefei, China. If the experiments prove successful, China will become the first country in the world to build a fully superconducting coil experimental Tokamak fusion device, nicknamed "artificial sun", experts in China said. January 21, 2006
• Fusion Budget for FY 2007 to be revealed on February 6 in President's FY 2007 budget request. U. S. Fusion community to visit Congress on February 16. Posted January 20, 2006
• Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee reconstituted under new conflict of interest rules will meet Feb 28-Mar 1, 2006 January 20, 2006
• CA Discovers Power of Sun (AP) California could become a world leader in solar power over the next decade under a landmark incentive program approved by the state's energy regulators. The California Solar Initiative aims to install solar panels on the rooftops of one (m) million homes, businesses and public buildings over the next ten years. The panels would produce three-thousand megawatts of solar electricity. The program will provide nearly three billion dollars in consumer rebates for installation of solar panels between 2007 and 2016. The five-member Public Utility Commission already has approved 300 million dollars in rebates for 2006. The initiative must still be approved by the State Legislature. January 14, 2006
• European Commission calls for expressions of interest for position of ITER Principal Deputy Director Deadline January 20,2006. Additional positions are available. January 9, 2006
• ITER - Opportunities for European Industry -presentations from Workshop 13-14 December 2005
• France Announces Construction of Gen IV Reactor: (AFP)- President Jacques Chirac announced plans to build a prototype fourth-generation nuclear reactor by 2020 as well as symbolic targets for cutting France's reliance on oil in the coming decades. In the field of nuclear energy, Chirac stressed that France was a key partner in ITER, an international experimental fusion reactor to be based in southern France, as well as in developing a third-generation EPR reactor. "What is at stake (through the ITER project) is the ability to harness the energy of the sun by the end of the century," Chirac said. January 8, 2006
• Evolution in Action : Breakthrough of the Year according to Science. The choice of France as the site for ITER was the 10th runnerup. December 23, 2005
• "ITER - Opportunities for European Industry" - Over six hundred representatives from European industry and fusion research institutes gathered in Barcelona on 13/14 December, for a two-day workshop named "ITER &endash; Opportunities for European Industry". The goal of the workshop is to inform European companies about the international ITER Fusion Energy Project, and to discuss opportunities for their involvement in its construction. December 14, 2005
• Workshop on Burning Plasmas held December 7-9 by US Burning Plasma Organization was attended by over 150 US fusion researchers . The workshop discussed: progress since Snowmass 2002, issues related to burning plasmas and possible tasks for the future related to ITER and beyond. Presentations can be downloaded from the Workshop link. December 12, 2005
• India was welcomed by the other partners as a full partner in the ITER project during the 12th ITER negotiating meeting held today in Korea. Agreement was reached by the Delegations on all remaining issues such as decision making, intellectual property and management within the prospective ITER Organisation, and adjustments to the sharing of resources as a result of India's participation, including in particular cost sharing and in-kind contributions. December 6, 2005
• ITER Negotiations Continuing - A Preparatory Committee meeting will take place on 5th and 8th December to officially recognise the Director-General Nominee, and to consider the Transitional Project Team preparations. December 6, 2005
• EU OKs India joining ITER nuclear reactor project -BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Friday to include India in a 10-billion-euro project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor that in the long-run could provide virtually unlimited, cheap and clean energy. The EU's willingness to work with India on a civil nuclear project comes months after the United States said it would support India's nuclear power development despite its refusal to sign a global treaty barring the spread of atomic weapons. Critics of the project, which began life in 1985 as a showpiece of Cold War diplomacy between the United States and the Soviet Union, say it is too expensive, unrealistic, with too long a wait for results. December 2, 2005
• South Korea to Host Talks for Int'l Nuclear Fusion Project - SEOUL, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - South Korea is to play host to negotiations this week for a six-nation project to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in France by 2015, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Wednesday. The six members -- South Korea, the United States, Japan, European Union, China and Russia -- will take part in the talks from Thursday until Dec. 8 on South Korea's southern island province of Jeju.From Dec. 6, participants will hold high-ranking meetings to discuss a variety of issues, including India's petition to participate in the consortium. They are also to approve the appointment of Kaname Ikeda, Japan's ambassador to Croatia, as the director general of ITER during a preparation committee on Dec. 5-8. The goal has been for the six partners to sign a Draft Implementing Agreement by December 31, 2005. November 30, 2005
• 20 Years ago at US -Soviet Summit Meeting in Geneva First Discussion that led to ITER (November 21, 1985), From the Joint Statement of President Reagan and Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev - "Fusion Research - The two leaders emphasized the potential importance of the work aimed at utilizing controlled thermonuclear fusion for peaceful purposes and, in this connection, advocated the widest practicable development of international cooperation in obtaining this source of energy, which is essentially inexhaustible, for the benefit for all mankind." November 21, 2005
• ITER Project to Solve Global Energy Problems- Moscow (Novosti) -ITER is the most ambitious undertaking in the history of mankind, dwarfing the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of its intellectual and financial resources.If successful, ITER would provide mankind with an unlimited source of energy. A thermonuclear power plant may appear by 2030, requiring tremendous amounts of energy. "Those involved in the ITER project understand that thermonuclear fusion will become a powerful and reliable source of energy," Velikhov full-time member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, president of the well-known Kurchatov R&D Institute and head of the Institute's ITER Council, said. November 15, 2005
• Congressman Boehlert Promises to Kill ITER Project if Funding Agreement is not Reached - WASHINGTON, DC, November 9, 2005 - House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) made the following statement today during debate over the Energy and Water appropriations: ...I want to make clear to everyone concerned that I will do everything in my power to kill the ITER project if there is not an agreement by March that the domestic fusion program has to be scaled back to pay for ITER.  "I am not going to allow the U.S. to enter into an international commitment that it cannot afford.  I would rather kill the ITER project.  "The fusion community will have to be realistic.  It cannot have all its current projects and ITER.  And it will not.......November 11, 2005
• Fusion Budget for FY 2006 Approved by House-Senate Conference Committee-The conferees provide $290,550,000 for fusion energy sciences, the same as the budget request. The conferees direct the Department to utilize $29,900,000 of funding proposed for ITER work in fiscal year 2006 to restore U.S.-based fusion funding to fiscal year 2005 levels as follows: $7,300,000 for high performance materials for fusion; $8,700,000 to restore operation of the three major user facilities to fiscal year 2005 operating levels; $7,200,000 for intense heavy ion beams and fast ignition studies; $5,100,000 for compact stellarators and small-scale experiments; and $1,600,000 for theory. As in previous years, the conferees direct the Department to fund the U.S. share of ITER in fiscal year 2007 through additional resources rather than through reductions to domestic fusion research or to other Office of Science programs. Within available funds, the conferees include $1,000,000 for non-defense research activities at the Atlas Pulse Power facility. In addition, the conferees direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to undertake a study of the Office of Science Fusion Energy Sciences program in order to define the role of the major domestic facilities in support of the ITER, including recommendations on the possible consolidation or focus of operations to maximize their research value in support of ITER. The GAO shall also evaluate the opportunities to leverage the National Nuclear Security Administration investment as an alternative to the tokamak concept. This Energy and Water Appropriations bill is expected to be passed by the Senate and House later this week, and signed by the President next week. Senate Press Release. and House Press Release November 7, 2005
• Fusion Leaders Make an Diplomatic Choice (Science - November 11,2005) Meeting in Vienna this week, representatives of the six international partners in the project&emdash;China, the European Union (E.U.), Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States&emdash;tapped Kaname Ikeda to lead the $12 billion fusion project, which aims to build a reactor to recreate the sun's power source.However, delegates in Vienna failed to agree on the inclusion of India as a partner in the project. India had asked to join in July, but sources say that some ITER partners do not want India to have a prominent role because of its failure to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Posted November 15, 2005
• Japanese Ambassador to Croatia named head of ITER organization - (Kyodo) -Kaname Ikeda, a former Science and Technology Agency official, was tapped Monday to be the chief of an international project to build a nuclear fusion reactor in France, science ministry officials said. The decision on the appointment of Ikeda, 59, currently Japanese Ambassador to Croatia, was made at a meeting in Vienna of deputy ministerial officials from the European Union and five participating countries - Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States, according to the officials. November 7, 2005
• Common Message from the 5th Preparatory Meeting for ITER Decision Making (IAEA Vienna, 7th November 2005) - High level negotiators from China, European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States met at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna on 7th November 2005 to advance the ITER negotiations. This was the first such meeting since the successful resolution of the siting issue for ITER at the Meeting of Ministers in Moscow on 28th June 2005. Kaname Ikeda, a former Science and Technology Agency was named Director General of the ITER construction project. November 7, 2005
• 11th ITER Negotiations Meeting was held in Chengdu, China, 24October 2005 - November 3, 2005
  • November 2005 - High level "P" Meeting, Director General to be selected
  • 6December, 2005 - 12th ITER negotiations Meeting to finalize drafts of the ITER Implementing Agreement will be held in Korea.
  • Spring 2006 - Ministerial Meeting to "initial" Implementing Agreement
  • Jun-Jul 2006 - Agreement Formal Signature (Ratification of financial obligations)
  • End 2006 - Agreement enters into force
• Japan eyes Ikeda as candidate to head ITER organization (Kyodo) - Japan will recommend Kaname Ikeda, a former high level administrator with extensive science and technology expertise, as the candidate to head the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project organization, the Science Ministry said Tuesday. October 18, 2005
• Fusion Power Associates Annual Meeting will be held October 11-12, 2005 in Washington DC. Updated October 18, 2005
• FESAC Panel formed to assess progress of the US Fusion Program toward long term performance goals. October 9, 2005
• Chief of Majority Staff for House Science Committee Offers Views on ITER - David Goldston, Chief of Majority Staff for the House Science Committee, said "The U.S. should not commit to ITER funding without a clear strategy as to how to pay for it, he said, adding, "I don't see some big bump-in in Office of Science funding." Goldston later said, "I will do all I can to prevent the U.S. from entering into an agreement if no one is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to pay for it." Posted October 2, 2005
• Symposium on Fusion Energy - Reports of recent progress on magnetic and inertial fusion research. September 29, 2005
• Japanese set to direct 'sun-power' nuclear reactor in France -AFP - Almost three months after the ITER site was selected, Japan has been asked to nominate the chief of an international project to build a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion reactor in southern France, the project's six partners said in a statement. September 17, 2005
• An ITER negotiators working group meeting (NSSG-10 ) was held September 6-10 in Cadarache, France, to address the process for selecting a Director General and the development of arrangements for the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement. September 15, 2005
• Several Agreements were signed during the Sixth India-EU Business summit - The two sides decided to strenghten cooperation in the energy sector to develop more efficient, cleaner and alternative energy chains and work to secure India's membership in the ITER nuclear fusion project. September 7, 2005 (Separate item - With Nine Fission Power Reactors Under Construction India Targets 20,000 Megawatts of Nuclear Power by 2020. The nuclear power plans are part of a goal to add 150,000 MW of power to the nation's generating capacity in the next ten years.)
• Nuclear Energy for a New Europe 2005 - EUROPA - European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potocnik has called for greater investments in new energy technologies in light of the soaring oil prices that are set to affect the competitiveness of the economy and society as a whole. September 6, 2005
• European physicists propose 735 million euro alternative to ITER - Cordis News -The provisionally titled HiPER facility would be based on 'fast ignition' laser fusion technology, in which two separate lasers are used to compress and heat a small capsule of deuterium and tritium until the nuclei are hot enough to undergo nuclear fusion, producing helium and neutrons. September 5, 2005
• Europe plans $800M Fast Ignition laser-fusion facility - Laser physicists in Europe have put forward plans to build a £500m facility to study a new approach to laser fusion. A panel of scientists from seven European Union countries believes that a "fast ignition" laser facility could make a significant contribution to fusion research, as well as supporting experiments in other areas of physics. The facility could be up and running by the middle of the next decade. September 2, 2005
• Japanese Ministry eyes 3 ITER-related facilities for Aomori Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun) The science and technology ministry specified three facilities it wants to operate in Amori Prefecture as a reward for abandoning its bid to host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), ministry sources said. September 2, 2005
• India's quest to join the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is gathering pace with the ITER Preparatory Committee expected to formally look into the keen interest shown by New Delhi when it meets on September 13. India may also be allowed to participate in some of the technical meetings. August 31, 2005
• Observation of neutronless fusion reactions in picosecond laser plasmas The yield of particles in neutronless fusion reactions 11B+p in plasmas produced by picosecond laser pulses with the peak intensity of 2 10^18 W/cm2 has been observed. VS Belyaev, Phys Rev E 72, 026406(2005) August 26, 2005
• Conditions for Aneutronic Fusion : Possible reactions, required temperatures and fuel density and energy confinement. August 27, 2005
• Lasers trigger cleaner fusion Neutron-free reaction (p+11B) makes less radioactive waste. Nature August 26, 2005
• Quest for nuclear fusion in the forest International Herald Tribune Cadarache prepares for ITER August 26, 2005
• US ITER Project Office solicits Expressions of Interest. Individuals interested in participating in the US ITER project activities are invited to fill out a questionnaire. This is a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) announcement, not a solicitation. After consideration of response information, the USIPO will issue solicitations for management positions within the USIPO and possibly close R&D and Design support. Posted August 23, 2005
• President signs Energy Policy Act August 8, 2005, American Institute of Physics FYI President Bus Signs Energy Policy Legislation
• U.S. to restructure the domestic fusion program around ITER (Physics Today) August 1, 2005
• Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed overwhelmingly by Congress, President expected to sign next week. In FY 2007 a funding level of $355M would be authorized for the fusion program. In addition to this amount, such sums as may be necessary for ITER construction, consistent with the limitations of section 972(c)(5) are authorized. The fusion section of the bill calls for DOE to submit a plan to Congress in 180 days for the implementation of the fusion policy in this bill. Updated July 30, 2005
• Solar fusion - Is It Time to Shoot for the Sun? (Science) - Officials at the U.S. Department of Energy are working to kindle support for a crash program to transform solar energy from a bit player into the world's leading power source. July 21, 2005
• Fusion Energy: Just around the corner (Nature )For 50 years, physicists have been promising that power from nuclear fusion is imminent. Now they are poised to build an experiment that could vindicate their views. But will the machine work? July 20, 2005
• All together now (Nature Editorial) The decision to site the fusion experiment ITER in France left relatively little bad blood between the international partners, who must now rally behind the project. July 20, 2005
• The European Commission published its "Key Figures 2005 on science, technology and innovation" on 19 July, revealing stagnation in research and development (R&D) investment in the EU. "While in principal there is near universal support from ministers and Member States for establishing a European Research Council, introducing a space and security research programme, constructing ITER, and strengthening the 'cooperation' strand of the framework programme, so far there has been a distinct lack of support in budgetary terms" said Commissioner Janez Potocnik. July 20, 2005
• The nuclear deal with India - By assuming the same responsibilities and practices as leading countries with nuclear technologies 'such as the United States', in the expectation of receiving the same benefits and advantages, India has joined the big league. July 20, 2005
• We need a strong program in fusion research. Some have advocated cutting the domestic U.S. fusion program and using the funds for ITER instead. This would truly reduce the United States to a bit player in fusion energy. Congressman Rush Holt. Posted July 20
• French Group CALLS for NON with ITER and YES with energy saving, renewable energies, and the democratic choice of the citizens. Posted July 20
• Doubts Rise Over the Great Nuclear Promise PARIS, Jul 12 (IPS) - The euphoria over a decision to base the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France seems to be evaporating. What remains is a growing doubt over the feasibility and cost of the project. Posted July 20
• Much noise for nothing (Le Express) The installation in Cadarache of the reactor with nuclear fusion would be a bad news for our research. Posted July 20
• ITER and Nuclear Fusion Projects - Yardsticks for New Energy Technologies (Industrial information) July 20, 2005
• Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) will review a Report from a Panel charged to examine the capabilities of the three major US magnetic fusion facilities at a meeting of FESAC July 19 at Gaithersburg, MD. Ray Orbach, Director of the Office of Science presented his perspective on the US Fusion Program and called for the US domestic fusion program to make sacrifices for ITER. Updated July 21, 2005
• International Fusion Research (MIT Technology Review) - The announcement in the last week that the site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is finally resolved is a source of relief and anticipation to nuclear fusion researchers worldwide. July 8, 2005
• Blair Says G-8 Leaders Need to Move Past Kyoto Debate (Update2)(Bloomberg) "I recognize that greenhouse gases are an issue and that we've got to deal with it,'' Bush said. "I also strongly believe that technology and the proper use of technology will enable the world to grow our economies and at the same time be wiser about how we protect the environment.'' July 7, 2005
• We're a step closer to taming the Sun (Telegraph) Iter will show whether, after half a century of tantalising promise, scientists are at last about to catch up with the receding horizon of fusion expectations.July 7, 2005
• Nuclear fusion: power to the people?(The Register) It's G8 week, and climate change is high on the agenda. And now that even George Bush has acknowledged that climate change is (a) happening and (b) is at least partly due to humans but insisted it (c) should be tackled through technology, why not focus again on a technology that's (1) happening and (2) partly controlled by humans? That is, nuclear fusion. July 6, 2005
• Japan wins by withdrawing ITER bid (Japan Times) France has won the competition to host the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's first nuclear-fusion reactor. Japan fought hard to win the project, but in the end the projected cost and the promise of playing a significant role in subsequent research gave Tokyo ample reason to withdraw its bid. July 6, 2005
• Fusion Power, Elusive and Alluring (NY Times) Now a battle is brewing in Washington over how to finance the American contribution. July 5, 2005
• The Glory of France, and we don't mean food or wine (Wall Street Journal) - It's fitting that France was chosen as the site for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. The French have been a glowing example of the benefits of nuclear power for decades. July 5, 2005
• Win for France over fusion reactor, a big blow to Japan (NZ Herald) - The quest to find a clean, cheap and abundant way to meet future global energy needs took a big step forward last week when six of the world's leading powers agreed that France, not Japan, should be the site for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. But the choice was a loss for big science in Asia and will fan Japanese resentment of China. July 5, 2005
• Nuclear ambitions A step towards commercial fusion power. Perhaps (The Economist )This week, an international project to build a nuclear-fusion reactor came a step closer to reality when politicians agreed it should be constructed in France rather than in Japan, the other country lobbying to host it. The estimated cost is $12 billion, making it one of the most expensive scientific projects around - comparable financially with the International Space Station. Posted July 4, 2005
• Official Statements from the Ministerial Meeting for the ITER Siting Decision, June 28, 2005, Moscow Updated July 2, 2005
• China might build its own thermonuclear experimental reactor (Xinhua ) - Update from UPI July 4, 2005 update. A leading Chinese plasma physicist said Thursday China might build its own thermonuclear experimental reactor, which would be expected to supply sustained electricity for the world's most populous country. China to increase fusion funding. July 1, 2005
• ITER Finds a Home - With a Whopping Mortgage (Science) - As expected, the E.U. will pay for 50% of ITER's $5 billion construction price tag. The other five partners will contribute 10% each. June 30, 2005
• Chirac calls ITER essential for planet's future (AFP) CADARACHE, France, June 30 (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday hailed a decision to build a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion reactor in southern France as vital to the planet's future, praising European solidarity in sealing the deal. June 30, 2005
• Japan consoled with contracts as France snares fusion project (Nature) June 30, 2005
• Lost ITER bid elicits mixed reactions (Japan Times) Where some see setback for Japanese research, others see turning point. June 30, 2005
• Star Power - France has just been chosen as the host site for the experimental ITER nuclear fusion reactor, a multi-billion-dollar project designed to emulate the power of the Sun. Richard Ingham looks at the potential benefits of the reactor - and its problems. June 30, 2005
• France Will Get Fusion Reactor To Seek a Future Energy Source (NY Times) With the agreement, the consortium can now proceed with the drafting of a deal on the construction and operation of the reactor. ITER officials said they hoped that the accord would be signed by the end of the year, allowing work on the reactor to begin next year and ground to be broken at the Cadarache site in 2008. Current plans foresee the reactor operating in 2016. June 29, 2005
• Is fusion the best way forward? (CNN) BRUSSELS, Belguim (Reuters) -- The choice of France as the site for an international nuclear fusion reactor is a victory for strong-arm European diplomacy, but the EU has had to pay a high price for scientific prestige with uncertain energy benefits. June 29, 2005
•  ITER Siting Decision Clears One Important Obstacle in Congress -(AIP) "This is real . . . we've got a project on our hands." - DOE Office of ScienceDirector Ray Orbach June 29, 2005
• US Senate Passes Energy Bill in Prelude to Talks With House (NY Times) WASHINGTON, June 28 - The Senate overwhelmingly passed broad energy legislation today, hoping its emphasis on both traditional and emerging sources of power could break a four-year Congressional stalemate over energy policy. Senate press release. June 28, 2005
• Official Statements on the ITER Siting Decision June 28, 2005
  • U.S.DOE Statements on International Fusion Reactor (ITER) Siting Decision.
  • Remarks on behalf of the United States Governmentat the ITER Ministerial Meeting by Dr. Raymond L. Orbach Director, Office of Science
  • Joint Declaration signed by the six ITER parties. Also, Joint EU - JA Agreement with additional details.
• Japan has key role in ITER project (Daily Yomiuri) Despite its concession to the EU in the dispute over the location of the reactor, Japan has gained assurances from the other ITER participants that it will reap rich benefits from the project.June 28, 2005
• France to Be Site of World's First Nuclear Fusion Reactor (NY Times) Many scientists see the estimated $12 billion project as essential to solving the world's future energy needs. Construction of the reactor is expected to cost $5 billion with its operation is expected to cost another $5 billion over twenty years, according to officials of the reactor project. June 28, 2005
• France to host world's first nuclear fusion plant A nuclear fusion power station is the 'Holy Grail' for scientists trying to find a viable alternative to the world's depleting stocks of oil and gas. The search took on new significance as crude this week reached a record price of $60.95 a barrel in some trading. June 28, 2005
• $13 billion nuclear fusion site gets green light (MSNBC) (pdf) France to host test reactor in search for alternative to fossil fuel.June 28, 2005
• Nuclear fusion reactor project in France: an expensive and senseless nuclear stupidity Paris, 28 June 2005 - Greenpeace deplores the agreement by the Representatives of the Parties to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) (1) to construct one of the world's largest nuclear fusion experiments in Cadarache, Southern France. June 28, 2005
• French Ecologists Dismayed by ITER Project Win - MARSEILLE, France, June 28 (AFP) - Environmental groups expressed dismay Tuesday at the decision to build the international ITER experimental nuclear power station in southern France, calling it a dangerous and costly installation. June 28, 2005
• Decision over siting of ITER is made at long last. -Nature- An 18-month deadlocked contest between Japan and Europe over who gets to play host to a US$5.5-billion experimental fusion reactor has finally come to an end. After much political back-and-forth, rumours and anticipation, the winner is France. June 28, 2005
• Biggest nuclear fusion project goes to France (New Scientist)June 28, 2005
• Europe beats Japan to ITER prize - (Physics World) The ITER fusion experiment will be built in at Cadarache in the south of France. The decision was announced by the six ITER partners - China, the European Union (EU), Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US - at a ministerial meeting in Moscow this morning. As part of various concessions to Japan, which had also offered a site for the project, the EU has agreed "privileged partnership" status for Japan, which includes support for a Japanese director-general for the project and a significant financial package. June 28, 2005
• Agreement on ITER construction to be signed in end of 2005 - MOSCOW, June 28 (Itar-Tass) -- An agreement on ITER constructi