A consortium comprising Ferrovial’s construction subsidiary Ferrovial Agroman together with VINCI and Razel-Bec has signed a contract to design and build the reactor building as part of the ITER project, the world’s largest experimental fusion facility, which will research the viability of fusion energy.
A consortium comprising VINCI (58.3%), Ferrovial Agroman (30%) and Razel-Bec (11.7%) has signed a contract with Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Union organization managing Europes contribution to ITER, to build the Tokamak complex and design and build nine ancillary buildings as part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, southeast France.
The contract, which is worth approximately 300 million euro, has an estimated duration of five and a half years.
The design studies will begin in April 2013 and the main civil engineering works in autumn 2013. The main building will house the Tokamak reactor, a 28 meter diameter cylinder which is 29 meters high and weighs 23,000 tons. Together with the two adjacent buildings, this will form a concrete structure measuring 120 meters long, 80 meters wide and 80 meters high. The other ancillary buildings are the Assembly Hall, a two-story control building and several other industrial buildings.
The contract also provides for several large (4m x 4m, 40 tons) anti-radiation, highly pressure-resistant nuclear doors, to be designed and built by a consortium comprising Cegelec and Sommer.
The ITER project is a first-of-a-kind global collaboration in the field of energy. It will be the world’s largest experimental fusion facility and is designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power.
Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, limitless and environmentally-responsible energy source. Europe will contribute almost half of the costs of the construction, while the other six members of this joint international venture (China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US) will contribute the remainder in equal parts.
Watch F4E’s video on YouTube describing the Tokamak complex: http://bit.ly/XFnq9V
About Ferrovial
Ferrovial, one of the world’s largest infrastructure and city operators, is committed to developing sustainable solutions. The company has 70,000 employees and operates in over 15 countries. Its main business areas are: Services, Toll Roads, Construction and Airports. Ferrovial is part of Spain’s blue-chip IBEX-35 index and also of the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good. Ferrovial manages 407 Express Toll Route (Canada), Heathrow Airport (UK), Chicago Skyway (USA) and Ausol toll road (Spain), among others. It also provides municipal services in many cities and towns in Spain and the United Kingdom.
About Fusion for Energy (F4E)
Fusion for Energy (F4E) is the European Union organization managing Europes contribution to ITER. One of the main tasks of F4E is to work together with European industry, SMEs and research organizations to develop and provide a wide range of high technology components together with engineering, maintenance and support services for the ITER project.
F4E supports fusion R&D initiatives through the Broader Approach agreement signed with Japan and prepares for the construction of demonstration fusion reactors (DEMO).
F4E was created by a decision of the Council of the European Union as an independent legal entity and was established in April 2007 for a period of 35 years.
Its offices are in Barcelona, Spain.
http://www.fusionforenergy.europa.eu
http://www.youtube.com/user/fusionforenergy
http://twitter.com/fusionforenergy
About ITER
ITER is the result of an international collaboration of unprecedented proportions. It will be the world’s largest experimental fusion facility and is designed to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power.
Fusion is the process which powers the sun and the stars. When light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones, a large amount of energy is released. Fusion research is aimed at developing a safe, limitless and environmentally-responsible energy source.
Europe will contribute almost half of the costs of its construction, while the other six members of this joint international venture (China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US) will contribute equally to the rest.
The ITER project is sited at Cadarache in the south of France.
