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EUROfusion

Implementation of activities described in the Roadmap to Fusion during Horizion Europe through a joint programme of the members of the EUROfusion consortium
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Classification: 
international research
Programme: 
Horizon 2020
Call: 
EURATOM
Main ERC field: 
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Unict role: 
Partner
Duration (months): 
60
Start date: 
Friday, January 1, 2021
End date: 
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Total cost: 
€ 10.140.943,00
Unict cost: 
€ 80.000,00
Coordinator: 
Max Planck gesellschaft zur forderung der wissenschaften ev (Germania)
Principal investigator in Unict: 
Prof. Luigi Fortuna
University department involved: 
Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
Participants: 

Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austria), Ecole Royale Militaire - Koninklijke Militaire School (Belgium), Institute of Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Bulgaria), Ruder Boskovic Institute (Croatia), University of Cyprus (Cyprus), ústav fyziky plazmatu av čr, v. v. i. (Czechia), Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Denmark), Tartu ulikool (estonia), Teknologian tutkimuskeskus vtt (finland), Teknologian tutkimuskeskus vtt oy (finland), commissariat a l energie atomique et aux energies alternatives (france), Forschungszentrum julich gmbh (germany), Karlsruher institut fuer technologie (germany), National center for scientific research "demokritos" (greece), Magyar tudomanyos akademia wigner fizikai kutatokozpont (hungary), Dublin city university (ireland), Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, L'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile (italy), Latvijas universitates cietvielu fizikas instituts (latvia), Lietuvos energetikos institutas (lithuania), Stichting nederlandse wetenschappelijk onderzoek instituten (netherlands), Instytut fizyki plazmy i laserowejmikrosyntezy im. sylwestra kaliskiego (poland), Instituto superior tecnico (portugal), Institutul de fizica atomica (romania), Univerzita komenskeho v bratislave (slovakia), Institut jozef stefan (slovenia), Centro de investigaciones energeticas, medioambientales y tecnologicas-ciemat (spain), Vetenskapsradet - swedish research council (sweden), Ecole polytechnique federale de lausanne (switzerland), United kingdom atomic energy authority (united kingdom), National science center kharkov institute of physics and technology (ukraine)

Abstract

EUROfusion’s updated Fusion Research Roadmap aims to acquire the necessary  knowledge to start constructing a demonstration fusion power plant (DEMO) five years after ITER is in full-power operation. DEMO will deliver fusion electricity to the grid early in the second half of the century. The Roadmap has been articulated in eight different Missions. The present proposal has the goal of implementing the activities described in the Roadmap during Horizon Europe through a joint programme of the members of the EUROfusion Consortium, with the following high-level objectives:
1. Construct and commission ITER;
2. Secure the success of future ITER operation via preparation and experiments on present devices;
3. Develop the conceptual design of a DEMO fusion power plant;
4. Finalise the design and construct a fusion spectrum neutron source (IFMIF-DONES);
5. Advance the stellarator as an alternative approach to fusion powerplants;
6. Prepare the ITER and DEMO generations of scientists, engineers and operators;
7. Promote innovation and European industry competitiveness in fusion technology and beyond.
The ITER success remains an important overarching objective of the programme and much attention is devoted to ensure that ITER operation is properly prepared, and that a new generation of scientists and engineers is thoroughly educated and trained for its exploitation. DEMO is the only step between ITER and a commercial fusion power plant. To achieve the goal of fusion electricity demonstration in the early 2050-ies, the DEMO Conceptual Design has to be completed by 2030 at the latest, to allow the start of the Engineering Design Activities. DEMO cannot be defined and designed by research laboratories alone, but requires the full involvement of industry in all technological and systems aspects of the design. Therefore, specific provisions for the involvement of industry in the Consortium activities are envisaged.