@ITER Organisation has awarded GDES a new contract for the design and qualification of fire-barrier, tightness sealing and other requirements in the Tokamak complex.

Our Thermal Protection specialists will design, qualify and install an infilling system for captive busbar openings in the L4 slab of the reactor building.

The project is divided into two main phases to be executed from the end of October 2024 to September 2025.

• Design and qualification, with laboratory tests for compliance with ©ITER Organisation requirements such as fire resistance (+/- 5kPa), reaction to fire, watertightness with displacement, airtightness with thermal cycles, chemical resistance, mechanical tests with ageing by radiation and smoke toxicity, among others.
• And the installation of the sealing system.

This Research and Development project will be carried out on fifteen IVC (In-Vessel Coil) busbar openings; the IVC power converters stabilise the plasma in the reactor through magnetic field control.

It is the second major project involving our Thermal Protections Division in the French market. The EDF Nuclear and Thermal Generation Division recognised the innovative procedure developed ad hoc by the GDES Thermal Protections team for the Cruas Nuclear Power Plant in 2022 and 2023. Following this success, EDF engaged GDES to participate in several studies and laboratory tests to improve sealing systems and fire barriers.

Congratulations to all our colleagues at Thermal Protections who have made this new major contract possible! ITER is considered the most complex scientific project in history and contributing to its construction is therefore a major milestone.

This new GDES service will complement the work being undertaken by the GDES Revanti painting and surface treatment subsidiary in France at the complex from 2019 onwards. Thank you ©ITER Organisation for once again placing your trust in our services.