ITER Project Experiments Postponed to 2034 Due to Structural Defects

The start date for the first plasma experiments at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, located in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance in southern France, has been postponed to 2034 due to technical setbacks and structural defects.

The tokamak-type reactor, built through a partnership between the European Union, the USA, China, Russia, Japan, India, and South Korea, aims to reach a weight of approximately 23,000 tons upon completion. It has been reported that the latest delay in the project has incurred an additional cost of approximately 5 billion euros. During tests conducted at the end of 2021, thermal shield leaks and stress corrosion cracks reaching up to 2.2 millimeters were detected. While the ITER management decided to replace the 23-kilometer cooling pipe network with stainless steel pipes, sector module number 6 was removed for repairs. With the schedule announced by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, the total delay has reached 18 years; as of 2026, two-thirds of the plasma chamber have been completed with the installation of the sixth of the nine sector modules.