Institute of Plasma Physics Visits ITER Headquarters in France for Exchange Activities

From July 7 to 9, 2026, a delegation from the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) visited ITER headquarters in France to engage in in-depth discussions regarding the joint commissioning plan for the device and the on-site commissioning of key ITER systems. This visit provided valuable experience for advancing project construction and ensuring the high-quality implementation of ITER procurement package tasks.

During the meeting on the device's joint commissioning plan, Research Fellow Lu Kun presented a detailed report on the latest progress of the project's engineering construction, while Research Fellow Zhang Bin delivered a specialized report outlining the objectives, scope, and schedule for joint commissioning. Participants were organized into 11 specialized working groups to conduct in-depth discussions on topics such as vacuum, fueling and wall conditioning; superconducting magnets, cryogenics, and quench protection; plasma control, data access, and communication; baking and cooling, negative pressure ventilation, auxiliary heating, diagnostics, deuterium-tritium fuel cycle, radiation protection, test blanket modules, and remote handling systems.

During the meeting, the ASIPP team engaged in extensive discussions with liaisons from various ITER systems regarding the scope, implementation strategies, and coordination mechanisms for key system commissioning, systematically outlining the technical roadmap and schedule for the joint commissioning process. The meeting effectively leveraged practical experience from ITER's key system joint commissioning, laying a solid foundation for the steady progress of the device's joint commissioning work.

During the visit, the high-voltage integrated commissioning of the ITER PF (Poloidal Field) power supply system was officially launched, marking the entry of the ASIPP-undertaken ITER PF power supply procurement package into the final stage of on-site commissioning.

The ITER PF power supply system is one of the major ITER procurement package tasks undertaken by ASIPP. Since the signing of the procurement contract in 2011, the project team has continuously advanced equipment development, manufacturing and delivery, on-site installation, and commissioning. All equipment was delivered by November 2019, on-site installation was completed by November 2022, and the on-site commissioning team was officially formed in August 2024 to carry out comprehensive commissioning activities.

According to the master schedule, the on-site commissioning of the ITER PF power supply system proceeds through four stages: signal verification, low-voltage commissioning, light-load commissioning, and high-voltage integrated commissioning. To date, the tasks for the first three stages have been successfully completed, with test results for equipment functionality, control systems, and protection systems all meeting design requirements. The launch of this high-voltage integrated commissioning marks a crucial step prior to the joint commissioning of the power supply system with the ITER device; it will provide essential power supply support for the subsequent joint commissioning of the ITER device and the first plasma discharge.

This exchange visit to France represents both a significant move by the Institute of Plasma Physics to actively integrate into international fusion cooperation and a concrete step in continuously fulfilling ITER procurement package obligations and supporting the implementation of the ITER project. Moving forward, the Institute will continue to deepen technical exchanges and collaborative innovation with international partners, coordinate the progress of subsequent project construction, system commissioning, and ITER-related tasks, and contribute China's strength to the development of the international fusion enterprise.