Abstract

The prospects of various energy sources have to be evaluated on the basis of economical, energy and political factors, and ecological consequences. The gradual replacement of energy technologies based on burning of fossil fuels by the new ‘clean’ ones not yielding greenhouse gases is called for so as to conserve the atmosphere at least in the present state. From this point, one of the most promising energy technologies is controlled fusion. Today, we are in the stage of transition from proof-of-principle plasma physics experiments to practical realization of this concept. The place of future fusion power reactors in the global system is being discussed widely. In 1985, the Government Agreement on the design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) was signed by Russia, Japan, The European Community, and the United States of America. That was the starting point of this enormous project; and now we are in the second phase, i.e. the Engineering Design Activities, to be completed by 1998. The focal point for design is the Joint Central Team, with about 200 scientists and engineers from Russia, Japan, the European Community, and the USA working jointly. The national Home Teams provide strong support for the design and research and development programs on the basis of equal contributions to the Project. One of the key problems to be solved concerns fusion reactor materials, including the creation of a complete database on appropriate materials irradiated up to a neutron fluence of 10²³ n · cm⁻³, the development of new alloys and relevant engineering technologies.

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