PM Modi, who was in France to attend an AI summit, visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) along with French President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders praised the progress of ITER, including the ongoing assembly of the world's largest tokamak.
A tokamak is an experimental machine designed to control fusion energy. Inside the tokamak, the vessel's walls absorb the energy generated by atomic fusion. Similar to conventional power plants, a fusion power plant would use this heat to produce steam, which then generates electricity through turbines and generators.
ITER is an international collaborative project aimed at building the world's largest magnetic fusion device to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy as a large-scale, carbon-free power source. Based on the same principle that powers the sun and stars, the project has involved thousands of engineers and scientists since its conception in 1985.
Under development since 2005, ITER is set to become one of the largest international scientific facilities. According to its current timeline, deuterium-tritium fusion reactions are expected to begin by 2039, producing 500 MW of fusion power.
While ITER itself will not convert this energy into electricity, its success is expected to pave the way for future fusion power plants.
Fusion energy is widely regarded as the future of power generation. A small amount of deuterium and tritium nuclei can generate vast amounts of energy with zero emissions, making fusion a potential solution to climate change.
Located in southern France, ITER is a collaborative effort involving 33 nations, including India. The seven core members—China, India, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States—have been working together for decades to build and operate this experimental fusion reactor.
Their ultimate goal is to develop a demonstration fusion power plant, bringing the world closer to a future powered by clean and limitless energy.