L&T-made major cryostat base installed in world’s largest nuclear fusion project in France – Defence News of India

SOURCE: PTI

Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Tuesday said it has achieved a major milestone by manufacturing the 1,250 tonne single largest section of the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor in France, and the section has been successfully placed into a reactor building there.

Assembly tools of the 1,250-tonne cryostat were delivered during the lockdown by the heavy engineering arm of L&T to ensure the uninterrupted assembly of cryostat in reactor pit in southern France. The cryostat forms the vacuum-tight container surrounding the reactor vacuum vessel and the superconducting magnets and acts essentially as a very large refrigerator.

India is among the seven elite countries funding the USD 20 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) programme in Cadarache, France. This is one of the world’s largest research project that seeks to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power.

“L&T Heavy Engineering – manufactured 1250 MT Cryostat base, the single largest section of the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor, was successfully lifted and placed into a reactor building in France recently, accomplishing a major milestone in the nuclear engineering world,” the company said in a statement.

“The reactor base, the single largest and heaviest Tokamak component of the world’s largest stainless-steel, high-vacuum, pressure chamber cryostat, will eventually contain the rest of the reactor,” it said.

Bernard Bigot, Director-General, ITER organization said, We thank L&T for the timely deliveries, in the current difficult circumstances, of the cryostat base alignment tool & shims which are critical to install cryostat base, as brilliantly manufactured by L&T since 2015.”

This installation into the ITER Tokamak building is a significant activity for other downstream activities to achieve the mission for a first plasma as soon as possible by the end of 2025, he said.

“This could have been possible, amidst COVID-19 lockdown period, only due to the extraordinary dedicated efforts of L&T team and invaluable support of the Indian government authorities. L&T has always been a trusted partner in meeting the goals of ITER,? he added.