Europe signs the largest contract for ITER with the GDF SUEZ Group and the M+W Group

Fusion for Energy (F4E), the organization responsible for the European contribution to ITER, has signed its largest contract to date with Cofely Axima, Cofely Ineo, Cofely Endel (GDF SUEZ Group), and the M+W Group. The extensive expertise of the French-German consortium will be utilized to provide the building technology for the Tokamak complex, where the ITER Tokamak machine will be housed, and for the surrounding buildings. The contract is expected to have a duration of six years, with a volume of approximately EUR 530 million.

Professor Henrik Bindslev, Director of F4E, stated: “This is an important achievement for Europe, not only because of the contract volume but also because European companies are gaining an unprecedented opportunity to exchange know-how and leverage it for future business prospects.” Guy Lacroix, the Chief Executive Officer of GDF SUEZ Energy Services responsible for Cofely Axima, Cofely Ineo, and Cofely Endel, confirmed this: “We are extraordinarily proud to be part of the largest international consortium in the field of fusion energy. All members bring a variety of skills and expertise; thus, we can demonstrate that we can hold a leading position in a major industrial project like ITER.” Jürgen Wild, Chairman of the Management Board of the M+W Group, added: “This is an excellent example of German-French cooperation among companies. The partners combine their strengths to jointly make an important contribution to the realization of this international high-tech project.”

The ITER construction site in numbers:

The ITER platform covers an area of 42 hectares, and Europe is the participant responsible for the construction of the 39 ITER buildings. Currently, 250 employees are directly involved in the construction; their number is expected to increase to 2,000 by the end of 2014. One of the biggest challenges is to meet the demands of the rapidly growing workforce and to ensure optimal space utilization for the companies involved, so that all infrastructure elements can be built in parallel and on time.

Scope and key figures of the contract:

The contract includes the planning, supply, installation, and commissioning of the mechanical and electrical systems of the Tokamak complex, which consists of the Tokamak, diagnostics, and tritium buildings, as well as surrounding structures with a total volume of 97,200 m³. With the signing of the contract, all work required in the ITER assembly hall can now commence, enabling the high-tech ITER components to be assembled in accordance with strict safety standards. The components will undergo the most rigorous qualification tests.

As part of the contract, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system will be supplied, capable of handling a airflow of 1,000,000 m³/hour – equivalent to the volume of air inhaled and exhaled by 3.5 million people in one hour. Additionally, control systems, power supplies, interior and exterior lighting, as well as gas and water supply systems will be installed. State-of-the-art fire detection and suppression systems with 2,000 smoke detectors, along with valves and transfer facilities with various interfaces to connect the buildings and systems, will also be implemented.