F4E contracts RI with IVT series production for ITER

We are pleased to communicate that, after having successfully delivered a prototype of the Inner Vertical Target (IVT) for the fusion reactor ITER, RI Research Instruments GmbH has now received the order for an IVT series production from Fusion for Energy (F4E), the EU organisation for the European contribution to ITER. ITER is the world’s largest fusion experiment with 35 nations collaborating to build and operate a device to test a safe, non-carbon emitting, and virtually limitless energy, based on fusion reactions as they happen in the center of our sun.

The series production comprises three phases. In phase one, a dedicated series production line will be implemented at RI by Q3/2023. This will be followed by a production phase of 13 IVTs by 2027, with the prospect of producing more as the competition for the remaining IVT reopens in 2026.

This contract not only represents a significant long-term business for RI, but is also critical to the operation of ITER. It is a challenging project because the IVT will have to operate at extreme conditions: It will be in facing plasma at a temperature of 2000 °C on one side and cooling elements at only 120 °C just a few mm away.

The image shows the RI prototype of the IVT.