US delivers 18-meter magnetic monster to France to save billion-dollar nuclear fusion dream
The ITER project, led by the European Union and supported by the United States, represents a revolutionary model for nuclear fusion energy—and it has just acquired a key component.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s ITER, humanity’s most ambitious attempt to harness nuclear fusion—the clean and virtually limitless energy source that powers the Sun. Located in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, in southern France, and with a budget approaching €24 billion, ITER brings together 35 countries in an unprecedented scientific effort.
The latest critical piece to arrive is the so-called central solenoid, a technological marvel built in the United States. This “magnetic heart” can generate fields powerful enough to trap the superheated plasma needed for fusion reactions. In simpler terms: it’s what prevents the miniature sun inside the reactor from spiraling out of control.
Nicknamed the “magnetic monster,” the solenoid is composed of six superconducting modules (four already installed), each weighing as much as a Boeing 747, supported by a sci-fi-worthy frame. Its assembly was made possible by a group of American companies that contributed everything from bolts to 15-meter precision-forged steel bars.
An Almost Indestructible Shell
“The key isn’t just the magnet—it’s its skeleton,” says David Vandergriff, an engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which developed the solenoid, in an interview with French outlet Innovant. His team had to design a kind of titanium and steel cage capable of withstanding the enormous internal forces that will arise when the reactor is active. Superbolt, a Pennsylvania-based company, was among those responsible for producing the connectors that hold the entire structure together.
The ITER project has not been without its challenges. Originally planned with a €5 billion budget, it has since ballooned in cost and complexity. But according to ITER officials, if the project succeeds—and years of work still lie ahead—it will prove that it’s possible to generate 500 megawatts of clean energy from just 50 megawatts of input. Currently, no other system in the world can achieve that level of energy output.
And it does so without long-lived radioactive waste, without emissions, and without the volatility of fossil fuels.
As this extraordinary machine comes together, the world watches. With every bolt tightened, humanity inches closer to mastering the fire of the stars. Who knows—perhaps one day, we’ll hold the Sun in the palm of our hands.
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