Start of assembly of new energy source "ITER Project" fusion reactor

Start of assembly of new energy source "ITER Project" fusion reactor July 29, 5:25

Assembling of a fusion reactor, which is the heart of a large international project "ITER project" to reproduce the fusion reaction occurring in the sun on the ground and use it as a new energy source, started in southern France, Japan, the United States, China, etc. A commemorative ceremony was held with representatives from seven countries and regions.

The "ITER Project" is a large-scale international project in cooperation with seven countries and regions: Japan, the United States, China, EU = European Union, India, Russia, and South Korea.

The fusion reaction occurring in the sun was reproduced on the ground to extract a huge amount of energy, and it was aimed to demonstrate whether it could be used as a new energy source that does not emit carbon dioxide. The construction of the building where the experimental furnace is installed has been promoted.

On the 28th, the commemorative ceremony was held with representatives and technicians from each country participating on the 28th as assembly of the experimental reactor for nuclear fusion, which is the heart of the plan, began.

At the ceremony, the message from the leaders of each country was introduced, and among them, French President Macron said, "ITER is a project that promises peace. It proves that the power to cooperate with each other is stronger than the power to separate each country." I emphasized its significance.

The video of Prime Minister Abe's Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which reads out the message of Prime Minister Abe, was also shown, saying, "To confront the global challenge of climate change and realize a decarbonized society, it is necessary to create innovative innovations. We pray that the project will continue to make strong progress through strong international solidarity, despite the worldwide spread of viral infections."

Japan is in charge of manufacturing the major parts of the fusion reactor such as the world's largest superconducting coil necessary for controlling the ultra-high temperature state where the fusion reaction occurs, and some of them have already arrived at the site. ..

It is expected that it will take four and a half years to assemble the experimental reactor, and an unprecedented large-scale international project will start in earnest with the aim of reproducing the fusion reaction on the ground in 2035.

What is ITER

ITER is an experimental facility that aims to produce a huge amount of energy by artificially causing the nuclear fusion reaction that is the source of the brilliance of stars such as the sun.

The fuel is deuterium, which is an isotope of hydrogen, or tritium = tritium, and a nuclear fusion reaction occurs when it is called high-temperature plasma.

Theoretically, it is said that the energy equivalent to 8 tons of oil can be obtained from only 1 gram of deuterium.

ITER aims to generate a thermal energy of 500,000 kilowatts by maintaining the plasma for a fusion reaction of 5 to 8 minutes by the action of the magnetic field created by the superconducting coil in 2035 to cause a fusion reaction.

The construction of ITER is underway in southern France as an international project in which seven countries and regions including Japan, the EU, the United States, and China cooperate.

ITER's experimental device is 30 meters in length and width, equivalent to a 10-story building, and combines about 1 million parts manufactured by the participating countries.

The plan started in 2007, and the total construction cost until 2025 when the operation starts is estimated to be 2.5 trillion yen in Japanese yen.

According to the people involved, it is said that deuterium as fuel is inexhaustibly contained in seawater, it does not emit carbon dioxide as a reaction, and it is less likely to cause an accident than nuclear power generation. It is expected as a source.

On the other hand, it is said that it is difficult to maintain the high-temperature plasma that is essential for continuing the reaction, and it is said that many technical issues remain before it can be put to practical use as a power plant. I am.

Japan has contributed as a major participant since the beginning

From the beginning, Japan has contributed as a major participant in ITER.

The total construction cost required to start operation in 2025 is 2.5 trillion yen when converted to Japanese yen, and Japan will bear 290 billion yen as contributions and equipment in charge of manufacturing. It has become.

Japan is in charge of equipment that requires particularly high precision, and of the 19 superconducting coils in the world's largest class for sustaining "plasma" with a strong magnetic field, Japan will manufacture 9 of them.

In addition, we contribute to our high technological capabilities by manufacturing some of the plasma measuring devices that measure the temperature and density of electrons.

Two superconducting coils that Japan is in charge of have been completed and have already been shipped to France, and the burden of 200 billion yen has ended.

In the ITER plan, for seven years since the beginning of the international project in 2007, the Japanese served as the top of the organization in which France was placed. Most of them are Japanese.

Regarding Japan's contribution, a person in charge of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said, “In Japan, where resources are scarce, many studies on fusion energy have been conducted since the 1960s in an effort to solve future energy problems. Yes, I look forward to good results."

"Energy for Japan as well"

Makoto Sugimoto, Director of the Quantum Science and Technology Research and Development Organization, who leads the ITER project, which participated in the ceremony at the site from Japan, said that the superconducting coil manufactured by Japan is a huge structure with a height of 16 meters, He said that the error was within a few millimeters and was an extremely delicate part, and he said, ``Overcoming various difficulties that were very technically difficult with a magnetic field that has never been seen and a superconducting coil that has never been seen before. Finally, we have reached this point."

In addition, ITER said, “Every country has great expectations for nuclear fusion because it needs energy to control carbon dioxide emissions and achieve economic growth. Looking ahead to a future that will also benefit Japan I think that it is energy that it is beneficial for both Japan and the world that Japan, which is rich in human resources and economically, cooperates to tackle the problems of future human beings, and it is meaningful that Japan contributes. I think."

Cooperation between countries is expected to continue

The ITER project is a project started after the summit meeting between the US and the Soviet Union in 1985 for the international peaceful use of fusion energy, and the cooperation of participating countries such as manufacturing experimental reactor parts in each country and assembling them locally. Is indispensable.

Keisho Ohmae, Chief Strategy Officer, who formulates strategies and manages the entire project at the ITER, pointed out that countries have been cooperating to advance plans even in difficult international situations such as terrorism and conflicts. I think it is half the purpose to prove what we can do, and the other half is to demonstrate that humans can work hand in hand to solve common problems."

On top of that, he said, "ITER thinks that it is a reasonable decision for each country to continue riding until the end because it is known that ITER can get the fruit of nuclear fusion only when it finishes a train that has already started moving." Is moving to the new stage of assembling the experimental reactor, and it is expected that the cooperation between countries will continue.