An overview of the ITER project

The ITER Project Team now coming together in Cadarache is currently being shaped from the old, preserving the legacy of technical know-how built up in the ITER Joint Central Team since 1992. It is particularly strong initially in the most urgent areas, related to long lead items – magnets, the main vessel and the buildings – as well as in work related to licensing. But it also incorporates new functional needs – financial, administrative, and procurement – and ties in the needs of future users during operation.Since the bulk of the procurement for ITER will be provided in kind, efforts have been strengthened to define better the share of responsibilities with the Parties’ Domestic Agencies. The procurement cost sharing is being transferred into realistic technical splitting of the work, with agreements between the Parties to demonstrate production of the necessary quality, and how to handle any shortcomings.The design has evolved since originally conceived and valued 5 years ago. Design reviews of specific procurements will therefore start in September 2006 to ensure the current manufacturing and design assumptions continue to satisfy requirements.This paper reviews the current status of development of the ITER project, covering organisational and technical issues.