ITER

One of the main objectives of nuclear fusion research and development is to meet the future worldwide demand for power. A number of countries (the United States, Japan, Russia, South Korea, China, the European Union and India) have consolidated their efforts in designing and constructing an experimental nuclear fusion reactor – a prototype for new power plants.

In the thermonuclear reactor, power is releasesed from the reaction between hydrogen and tritium (hydrogen isotope) atoms resulting in the formation of a new atom – helium. This process gives an enormous thermal release: the plasma temperature in which nuclear fusion takes place is near to 100°C million (by comparison, the Sun’s core temperature is 40°C million). Establishing a controlled nuclear fusion reaction is the main task of the ITER project.

For the thermal shielding of the reactor core and withdrawing plasma heat power, the ITER is to be equipped with internal shields, the so called first wall. The first wall is a prefabricated structure consisting of water-cooling panels on fixed supporting stainless steel frames. These panels are three-layer composite structures including beryllium (the layer turned to plasma), a heat-removing interlayer made of special copper alloy and a base water-cooling layer of special stainless steel. The basic requirement for the panel design is that connections between the layers should be diffusional.

JSC Ulba is one of only two companies, in the world, which is in a position to provide the ITER project with this unique material – metal constructional beryllium. With a considerable R&D and production potential, Kazatomprom is able to produce, and supply, the first wall complex. Moreover, JSC Ulba was the first vendor of superconducting components for tokamak and is also able to participate in the manufacture of superconducting constructional elements for the ITER.

The map of participation in the international project envisages supplies of the reactor components and financing of its construction. In return, each participating country will have full access to all technologies of the thermonuclear reactor and deliverables of all experimental works conducted at the reactor, which would serve as a design basis for series-produced thermonuclear reactors.  

The project contemplates a set of research efforts, development of the first wall production technique, redesign of the existing facilities and production of the ITER components at JSC Ulba.

Therefore, given its participation in the ITER project, the Republic of Kazakhstan will have a chance to become a member of the future thermonuclear power group, making a breakthrough in a number of industry sectors and attaining a new cluster of highly-educated professionals participating in the project who will contribute to the future national development.