This week a two-week long marathon of meetings ended kicking off a package of 25 research topics defined in Europe’s Roadmap to the realisation of fusion electricty published twelve months ago.

Fusion energy is still in the research phase, making it all the more important to focus the European funded part of the programme on areas which are relevant for bringing electricity to the grid. Even more so given the latest BP Energy Outlook prediction of a 40% increase in the demand for electricity by 2035.

Since the publication of the Roadmap, physicists, engineers and administrators all across Europe have been working feverishly to turn paper into reality. EFDA and JET Leader Francesco Romanelli explains: ‘I appreciate the devotion that our colleagues in about 40 laboratories show to face the challenges that come with every change. On our journey from the old EFDA to the establishment of the new Consortium EUROfusion we can built on the profound experience and dedication of the colleagues involved to shape the new fusion research landscape.’

Project and Task Force Leaders like Piero Martin, Consorzio RFX; Italy, are enthusiastic. He sees the position as a unique opportunity of professional growth. He adds inspired: ‘Managing a large scientific team coming potentially from all EU countries, designing and implementing scientific programs, building consensus, and communicating efficiently will require creativity and vision.’

The accompanying or Medium-Size Tokamak campaigns expand the proven scheme used to operate and exploit JET. The first physics plasma of the Medium-Sized Tokamak campaigns was run yesterday on the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade in Germany.

Darren McDonald, Head of the ITER Physics Department, comments: ‘The programme brings together JET and the other key fusion experimental machines in Europe. These devices will be exploited on the basis of the roadmap’s defined missions using a scheme based on the one under which JET has been working effectively for a long time.’

Francesco Romanelli already looks at the next step towards fusion energy, ITER: ‘The main aim of the roadmap and the re-organisation of the research programme is to make ITER a success.’

Read more: EFDA