China National Nuclear Corporation issued the following announcement on Oct. 23.
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is a nuclear power plant constructor and operator specializing in nuclear defense, nuclear power, nuclear fuels and nuclear technologies. According to CNNC, the installation of the Heart for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), an international big science project only second to the International Space Station (ISS) in terms of scale, is being launched in Beijing, China. Under common witness of CNNC President Yu Jianfeng and the Director Luo Delong of China International Nuclear Fusion Energy Program Execution Center, ITER's Secretary-General Bernard Bigot officially signed ITER-TAC1 with Sino-French Consortium led by CNNC on behalf of ITER.
ITER-TAC1 is the largest nuclear power project contract won by Chinese enterprises in the European market, as well as CNNC's participation in international big science projects in the form of general contracting for the first time. Its signing reflects CNNC's implementation of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, meaning that the general contracting capacities gained by China during more than 30 years of constant engagement in nuclear power construction and its fusion technology accumulation and international influence over 50 years have been recognized by the international high-end nuclear power market.
"This is an important contract for ITER," Bigot said. "We have carefully prepared more than 1,200 design packages for the mechanical installation of major parts for ITER and also designed the assembly sequence; we're very glad that we have secured high-quality energetic partners to finish this work. We're looking forward to cooperating with internationally renowned industry experts and installing one of the world's most challenging, promising and important scientific devices as required within the stipulated time."
TAC1 involves the most critical installation project of ITER's Tokamak Device; resembling the reactor to a nuclear power plant and the heart to a human being, it governs the installation of Dewar structure, as well as the installation of all systems between Dewar structure and vacuum container. Nuclear fusion is considered as an ideal source to bring human beings out of future energy dilemmas. In the face of "Three-New (new material, new technology and new process) Projects," the Sino-French Consortium will join hands in strength to spare no efforts for the sustainable development of global energy.
CNNC took the lead to form the Sino-French Consortium together with the Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Co., Ltd., CNNC Southwestern Institute of Physics and Framatome from France, which then officially won ITER-TAC1 in France in the form of general contracting.
At present, Sino-French Consortium's TAC1 preparatory team has finished the preparatory work of Project Duty Book and Project Outline and is planning to reside in France to engage in preliminary work since the end of October 2019.
ITER-TAC1 Contract Signing Ceremony
Original source can be found here.
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