The last phase of ITER
BLOCOTELHA advances to the last phase of ITER construction
The Porto de Mós company was one of the Portuguese companies subcontracted to take part in the construction of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), considered the world’s largest nuclear fusion energy project.
BLOCOTELHA, a leading European company in metal constructions, announces its entry into the final phase of its participation in the ITER construction project, which involves completing the buildings for which the company is responsible (B71, B75, B34, and B37) as well as the Cryoline bridges, Busbar M1, and Busbar M2. Their completion is scheduled before the end of the year. The project, which began in 2020 for the Porto de Mós-based company, was awarded for over 15 million euros and involves the supply and installation of over 2,000 tons of metal structures, 11,000 m2 of roofing, and 17,000 m2 of cladding.
ITER is being constructed in the south of France, specifically in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, with the collaboration of 35 countries. The project aims to build the world’s largest Tokamak, a magnetic fusion device created to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale, carbon-free energy source, based on the same principle that powers stars and the Sun.
As a partner of the European consortium, Blocotelha has 20 professionals allocated to the project responsible for supplying and installing the metal structures, cladding, and roofing of the four buildings (B71, B75, B34, and B37) and the three bridges (Cryoline, Busbar M1, and Busbar M2). After the metal structure assembly of the buildings is nearly completed, with over 70% of the cladding in place, work on raising the last bridge (Busbar M2) will commence simultaneously with the completion of the others, which are already elevated.
Sofia Filipe, Quality Manager and Welding Coordinator at BLOCOTELHA, comments: “The construction of ITER presents various significant technical challenges inherent in the project’s complexity and the requirements involved in creating a nuclear fusion facility. Building such a complex facility requires detailed planning, efficient coordination among multidisciplinary teams, and real-time problem-solving. ITER is a large-scale project, a work distinguished by high demands for quality and safety.”
“The ITER project presents, and indeed is, a major challenge. However, at the same time, it is very rewarding to be able to contribute and collaborate with experts from around the world on a project with such significant impact on the future of energy and the world”
Erico Ferraria, Chief Commercial Officer at BLOCOTELHA.
First developed in the late 1950s, the Tokamak has been adopted worldwide as the most promising configuration for magnetic fusion devices. ITER will be the largest tokamak in the world, twice the size of the largest machine currently in operation, with a plasma chamber volume ten times larger. Europe is responsible for the largest share of ITER construction costs (45.6%), with the rest divided equally among China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.
More information about the project here: https://www.iter.org
