FAIR visits Fusion for Energy

Quelle: Felix Arndt

Nuclear Fusion has long been heralded as a clean source of energy. ITER is the world’s largest fusion reactor to date, ten times larger than all previous reactors, and with a new goal: not fusion for research, but fusion for energy. The initial goal of Q = 10 may not sound like much, but ITER will be the prototype for a new generation of fusion reactors of Q = 500 and more. Plasma of 150 million degrees will be stored in ITER’s tokamak, which is being built in Cadarache in the South of France. ITER’s first plasma is scheduled for about the same time as FAIR’s first phase 1 beam.

Our project dates are not the only thing we have in common. As was made clear at the Big Science Business Forum (BSBF) in Copenhagen this year, both FAIR and ITER are competing in a sellers’ market for magnets, vacuum vessels and power supplies. A delegation from FAIR was invited to Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER’s European procurement agency, to find out what can make procurement conditions better for Big Science. FAIR’s legal advisor, Felix Arndt, and Sonia Utermann from FAIR’s in-kind team were hosted by Leonardo Biagioni, deputy CFE and head of Contracts & Procurement, and Victor Saez, head of Market Intelligence. Discussions focused on data protection, industrial liaison, pre-procurement market analysis, contract monitoring and anti-fraud measures.

The visit showed once more how Big Science organisations can learn from one another and benefit from a coordinated approach to procurement; not just FAIR and F4E, but other Big Science organisations like ESA, CERN, ESS and European XFEL.

Thanks to Leonardo, Victor and the other F4E colleagues for their hospitality. The photograph shows Victor and Sonia with a model tokamak. The real thing will weigh 23,000 tonnes.

Changes in bus and tram traffic

After the summer holidays, the city of Darmstadt is renewing the road surface along the Frankfurter Landstraße, while HEAG mobilo is replacing tram tracks in curve areas. The construction work has an impact on the bus and tram lines in Arheilgen, and in some cases replacement buses run instead of trams. Detours are provided for motorists and cyclists. According to Heag mobilo, there is no change in route for bus lines 662, G and WX, but the departure times are to be adapted to the replacement traffic. The construction work will take place in three construction phases, each with alternating traffic routes, and is scheduled to last from 6 August to 28 September. Further up-to-date information can be found on the HEAG mobilo website (www.heagmobilo.de).