The ITER Project

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a civil nuclear fusion reactor research project located in the south of France. This global collaborative project involves 35 countries, including the 28 countries of the European Union,China,  India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. The project is part of a long-term approach aimed at industrializing nuclear fusion as an energy source.

The reactor was designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power as a viable commercial source of energy. Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, abundant and environmentally responsible energy source.

The plant has been under construction since 2010 in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, in the south of France, at one of the largest construction sites in Europe. The first commissioning of the reactor is planned for 2025.

Once complete, the reactor will be the world’s largest experimental fusion facility.

Canada-ITER cooperation

Canada is not currently a member of ITER as it does not contribute financially to the project. However, given Canada’s history and expertise in nuclear-fusion-enabling technologies, the MOU between Canada and ITER will help identify the precise domains in which Canadian suppliers could export expertise and technologies on a commercial basis to the ITER Project.