Report supports ITER’s delayed schedule but not its ballooning budget

Science : Last year, the council of representatives for the member states supporting the ITER fusion energy project in southern France created an independent panel to review the project’s revised budget and schedule. Since construction began in 2013, ITER has been plagued with cost overruns and delays. In its report presented on 27 April, the panel said that although the revised startup date of 2025 is reasonable, the additional €4.6 billion ($5.3 billion) that will be needed to complete the project is not. In response, the council has instructed the ITER management team to find a way to continue with construction without exceeding the financial constraints. Projected costs for ITER, which was originally scheduled to be completed this year, have reached roughly $20 billion. The ballooning costs and sliding completion dates have caused several of the member states to consider cutting their support.