World's largest carbon-free energy project clears milestones amid pandemic

The ITER project a collaboration of 35 nations, comprising India, to prove that fusion power can be produced on a commercial scale and is sustainable is nearing the start of assembly in France despite the challenging circumstances from the horrid coronavirus, officials announced on Wednesday.

ITER, the world's largest experimental fusion facility, is being built in Saint-Paul-les-Durance, some 35 km north of Aix-en-Provence in southern France.

"The start of assembly is planned for July and a date will be set soon," ITER spokesperson Laban Coblentz told .

The tokamak building is ready to receive components.

"The first of the large structural support elements the 1,250 ton cryostat base has been positioned in place," he said in a statement.

ITER's massive first-of-a-kind magnets and other components are in final stages and/or already being shipped to France from China, Korea, Japan, Italy, India, Russia, and the US.

The first 440-ton sector of the vacuum vessel, which will contain the fusion plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius

( With inputs from IANS )