Barring ITER Site Consensus, Europe Will Forge Ahead

Agreement on a site for ITER remains elusive, but in late November, the European Union’s council of ministers gave its seal of approval to building the international fusion energy test reactor in Cadarache, France. That site is also backed by China and Russia, while South Korea and the US favor Japan’s candidate, Rokkasho (see Physics Today August 2004, page 28 ).

The EU says it still prefers a consensus for the European site, but if that fails it will strike out independently, with whoever chooses to join. “Our mandate is a so-called triptych: Cadarache, six parties, and a broader approach,” says Achilleas Mitsos, European Commission director general for research. The broader approach refers to compensating the candidate host that concedes.

The EU’s decision to move ahead if no site consensus is reached is “a big step forward,” says Paul Vandenplas, vice chair of the European Consultative Committee for Fusion. “Otherwise, something of major importance for mankind’s future energy will be killed because of political deadlock. Japan knows that Europe is making a last desperate attempt to keep the six partners together.”

Earlier in the fall, it seemed that the deadlock on siting ITER had eased. The deal for Japan, if it were to accept not being the host, was sweetened to include not only IFMIF, the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility, but “privileged” partnership, under which the country would receive more industrial contracts than correspond to its 18% contribution to building ITER. In that model, Europe would pay 58%, and the four other member states would each put 10% toward the multibillion-dollar project. From that total of 116%, the extra money would go toward fusion facilities in Japan, such as upgrading the JT-60 tokamak or building an international computing center.

Despite those hints of nearing an agreement, the negotiations have become, if anything, stickier. The European negotiators “made a serious tactical error, assuming Japan would back out. Now the Japanese are mightily upset,” says an observer close to the negotiations. Europe hasn’t agreed to discuss the roles of host and nonhost independent of site, says Satoru Ohtake, one of Japan’s negotiators for ITER. Instead, the EU insists on its own site, with the “cheapest possible” compensation for Japan, he adds. “They underestimate our determination.”

For its part, the US remains “committed to the Japanese site,” says Raymond Orbach, director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. “I think it is essential that the six-party framework be maintained,” he adds. “Think of the consequences [a breakup] will create for future international collaboration.”

Financially, ITER could be built without Japan and its backers. France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland have volunteered to up their contributions for a Europe-led ITER. But keeping the partnership intact is important, says Mitsos. “It will be a failure if Japan does not participate.”

Intense negotiations continue. No firm deadline is in place, though observers generally expect a decision in the first part of this year.