Spanish Government authorises the Consortium Agreement to boost Spain’s IFMIF-DONES candidacy

The Spanish Ministry of Science and the Regional Government of Andalucía will form this Consortium with €1.5 million for its activities between 2020 and 2023

Spain’s Council of Ministers approved last Wednesday the signing of the agreement between the Spanish Government and the Regional Government to establish the Consortium that will support Spain’s candidacy and the construction of the scientific infrastructure ‘International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility -Demo Oriented Neutron Source’ (IFMIF-DONES) and the management of R&D related projects.

This step strengthens Spain’s proposal to build this facility in Granada, a joint initiative between Spain and Croatia which has the full support of the European Fusion Program. The aim is to host the IFMIF-DONES neutron source, a unique scientific infrastructure which will allow to qualify the materials of future fusion reactors, particularly for ITER.

The Council of Ministers authorised last May the creation of the Consortium to support this project, which will now proceed to the signing of the agreement. The funds devoted to the activities to conduct between 2020 and 2023 will be defined in such agreement and rise to a total of €1.5 million, covered 50 % by the Spanish Government and 50 % by the Regional Government of Andalucía. This project is developed under the framework of an ambitious program that the European Union is implementing to develop fusion as a source of energy, in an international cooperation with China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States, partners in ITER.

Europe’s roadmap to build a Demonstration Power Plant (DEMO) involves two milestones: the construction and scientific and technological exploitation of ITER’s Tokamak in the south of France, and the construction of a neutron source, IFMIF-DONES to develop, qualify and license the materials capable of resisting the extremely harsh conditions to which the components of the first wall of the future DEMO fusion reactor will be exposed.

Should Spain’s candidacy succeed, the Consortium would be extended. As the host country, Spain would therefore provide support to the international organism created for the construction of IFMIF-DONES.