ITER
ITER is a tokamak fusion device run by ITER Organization (35 nations) in France. It is under construction. Like every fusion device built so far, it has produced no net electricity.
Under construction. By mid-2026 the six-module central solenoid stack was complete on site and five of the nine vacuum vessel sector modules were installed in the tokamak pit.
The largest scientific collaboration in history after the ISS, and the machine everything else is measured against. Its schedule was rebaselined in 2024: scientific operations now start in 2034, full magnetic energy in 2036, and deuterium-tritium operation in 2039 — against an original plan for first plasma in 2025. The delays are attributed to the pandemic, quality problems, and optimistic planning for a first-of-a-kind machine. ITER will not generate any electricity. It is designed to show that a burning plasma can be sustained, not to sell power.
| Organisation | ITER Organization (35 nations) |
|---|---|
| Approach | tokamak |
| Confinement | magnetic |
| Country | France |
| Status | Under construction |
| First plasma | not yet |
| Target date | 2034 |
|---|---|
| Power target | 500MW |
| Energy gain target | Q = 10 (500 MW of fusion power from 50 MW of heating) |
| Net electricity | No. no fusion device has produced any |
Other tokamak projects
Fusion needs tritium, and the world's civilian stock comes mostly from CANDU fission reactors. See the fusion overview.
Sources
- ITER Organization 2024 baseline · retrieved 2026-09-07