Agreement on a site for ITER remains elusive, but in late November, the European Union’s council of ministers gave its seal of approval to building the international fusion energy test reactor in Cadarache, France. That site is also backed by China and Russia, while South Korea and the US favor Japan’s candidate, Rokkasho (see Physics Today August 2004, page 28).
The EU says it still prefers a consensus for the European site, but if that fails it will strike out independently, with whoever chooses to join. “Our mandate is a so-called triptych: Cadarache, six parties, and a broader approach,” says Achilleas Mitsos, European Commission director general for research. The broader approach refers to compensating the candidate host that concedes.
The EU’s decision to move ahead if no site consensus is reached is “a big step forward,” says Paul Vandenplas, vice chair of the European Consultative Committee for Fusion. “Otherwise,...
