World's first fusion reactor seeks home
By James Kanter International Herald Tribune Thursday, April 14, 2005 Nations argue whether the project should be in Japan or France PARIS While Europe and Japan bicker over where to build the world's first fusion reactor, Yasuo Shimomura is imagining how a 60-meter-high magnet could change the way the planet gets its power. . Shimomura, the interim project leader of the ambitious plan to build the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, is going to have to keep imagining the project for a little while longer. . On Tuesday, the European Union and Japan failed to agree on where to put the reactor that will house the magnet, which is the critical component in a project which could potentially create limitless supplies of energy and end the reliance on polluting fossil fuels. . In a statement, EU officials identified the project as "of the utmost importance for the future of mankind" and pledged to reach an agreement with Japan before July. . France and Japan have been dueling for nearly two years over where to build the ?10 billion, or $13 billion, reactor. The United States and South Korea have supported Japan's offer to build the reactor in Rokkasho-mura, a Japanese fishing village, while the EU, China and Russia have backed Cadarache in southern France. . The heart of the reactor is the magnet, made of 18 giant elliptical coils that will cost about ?2.5 billion. . Companies expected to help build the device include Toshiba, Mitsubishi and Hitachi of Japan, Siemens of Germany and Lockheed Martin of the United States. . Shimomura's team of 70 researchers, who are split between laboratories in Germany and Japan, is continuing to work on precise specifications for the magnet, as well as buildings and infrastructure, so that construction can begin as soon as there is a political agreement. . Last month, President Jacques Chirac of France called for work to begin at Cadarache, even if the EU failed to reach an amicable agreement with the Japanese. . "From December 2003 until now there's been almost no progress on location," said Shimomura, who spoke by telephone from his office at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. "Both sides are very keen to host the project and they have submitted very detailed plans." . Shimomura said both the Japanese and French sites had their advantages and disadvantages. . In France, the authorities would have to reinforce bridges near Cadarache to transport heavy equipment. . The Japanese site is near a harbor and offers better transport, but the authorities there would have to flatten a nearby hill and build an international school so teams of scientists from all over the world could educate their children. . The two sides "have been converging on a common understanding," the EU said Tuesday after the talks in Tokyo between Janez Potocnik, the EU science and research commissioner, and Nariaki Nakayama, Japan's education, science and technology minister. . Shimomura said the two sides could reach an agreement that would give one team of scientists "virtual" control of the reactor. . The plan would allow the team at the remote site to complement the on-site team's work and let experiments be conducted even at night. . "Using a remote site means we can take advantage of the time difference" between Japan and France, Shimomura said. . . See more of the world that matters - click here for home delivery of the International Herald Tribune. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/rkgkPB/UOnJAA/Zx0JAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
