World's largest fusion project reaches construction milestone with India's help

India plays a key role in building the world's largest nuclear fusion project, aiming to demonstrate safe, carbon-free energy.

In a major milestone, scientists working on the world's largest nuclear fusion project have completed its main magnet system with India playing a key role in building critical infrastructure.

This system will power the core of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) Tokamak reactor, which aims to demonstrate that fusion, the energy source of the sun and stars, can be used as a safe and carbon-free power source on Earth.

Unlike nuclear fission, which splits atoms and produces radioactive waste, fusion involves heating hydrogen gas to extremely high temperatures until the atoms fuse, releasing large amounts of energy sans nuclear waste.

India is among the seven main members of the project and has played a key role in building some of its most critical infrastructure, including the massive cryostat cooling systems and heating technologies.

The final part of the magnet system was the sixth module of the Central Solenoid, the main magnet that will drive plasma, the superhot gas in which fusion reactions take place, in the reactor.

Built and tested in the United States, this powerful magnet will soon be assembled at the ITER site in southern France. When complete, it will be strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier and form the electromagnetic heart of the doughnut-shaped fusion machine.

ITER, which stands for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is a joint scientific effort of more than 30 countries, including India, China, the US, Russia, Japan, South Korea and members of the European Union.