ITER fusion magnet is built in Europe

The magnet, which is the first of 18 Toroidal Field (TF) coils that will operate at the ITER fusion research complex in Cadarache, France, is 14 metres high, 9 metres wide and weighs 110 tonnes, the same amount as a Boeing 747.

When in operation at ITER, the coils will be used to create a magnetic cage, designed to entrap the fusion fuel, which will reach temperatures of 150 million degrees Celsius.

In order to create this powerful magnetic field – with a strength of 11.8 Tesla - the coils will be powered by 68,000 A, according to Alessandro Bonito-Oliva, manager for magnets at Fusion for Energy (F4E), the EU organisation managing Europe's contribution to ITER.

“Essentially they are bringing the atoms as close together as possible, in order to be able to initiate fusion,” said Bonito-Oliva.

Each D-shaped superconducting magnet will be built using around 1000 copper wires, which are cabled together into a 750 metre-long conductor, forming a coil known as a Double Pancake.