Ansaldo Nucleare delivers system for ITER fusion project

Ansaldo Nucleare announced the on-time completion of the manufacturing and testing of the cask and plug remote handling tooling system for the equatorial port plugs of the ITER nuclear fusion project.

Italy's Ansaldo Nucleare explains that the port plugs will form a key interface between the fusion reactor and its auxiliary systems.

They are installed around the tokamak and will house diagnostics, heating, support equipment and allow remote access to the reactor interior, enabling maintenance and operations in a high‑radiation environment.

The cask and tooling system will support these activities by ensuring the safe handling, transport and positioning of the plugs throughout the assembly phase.

The completion of the tests marks the first remote handling system of the project to be fully manufactured and qualified for on‑site operations.

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In the coming weeks, the machine will be shipped to the ITER site in Cadarache, France, and installed in the new remote handling test facility where it will support the preparation of assembly and in‑vessel operations.

The testing was carried out under contract with Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Union organisation responsible for Europe’s contribution to ITER.

The final Factory Acceptance Test verified the full functional interaction of the machine system and was in cooperation with Fusion for Energy (F4E), ITER Organization and industrial partners SOLVING, Officine L.C.M and Sinau Genova.

Ansaldo Nucleare has been involved in the ITER programme since its early phases and contributes to the design and manufacturing of key systems and components. The company also participates in the consortium responsible for the supply of five of the nine sectors of the ITER Vacuum Vessel.

ITER was formed in 1985 as an international collaboration to develop fusion energy.