BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) – An international group to oversee the international fusion project known as ITER will be formally established on Oct 24, said the Chinese Vice-Minister of Science and Technology, Li Xueyong.
China formally ratified the ITER agreement in September, Li said.
‘We will positively fulfil our obligations under the terms of the agreement, and at the same time, share rights to the project,’ he added.
ITER is an experimental fusion reactor being developed in conjunction with the EU, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea, and the US.
Costing a total of 15.5 bln usd, the project will generate power through the fusion of the hydrogen isotopes of deuterium and tritium extracted from sea water.
China will be responsible for 9 pct of the costs.
The practical applications of the technology are unclear, but the partners are hoping to use the research as a way of producing a long-term alternative to fossil fuels.
China has also launched a number of its own experimental fusion projects, including the ‘artificial sun’ reactor built by the China Academy of Sciences in 2005.
david.stanway@xinhuafinance.com
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