The
world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor is on track to go online in France in
2025, with Indian company Larsen and Toubro (L&T) delivering major
components for the international project from its strategic facility in Hazira.
The
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project, for which 35
nations, including India, China and the US, are collaborating to demonstrate
that nuclear fusion can be used as a safe, alternate energy source, will see
significant contribution from L&T, which says that work on the facility has
ensured its entry into a select group of global companies. As many as 54
segments for the world’s largest fusion device that can generate 500 MW of
power are being made in India, including the base of the 3,850-tonne cryostat
at the core of the system.
L&T
has already delivered 24 parts for the project and is on target to complete its
share of the work by the end of 2019, senior company officials told ET.
At
present, the cryostat base — the largest single component of the project — is
being assembled by Indian engineers at the site in France.
“Such
high-quality welding at a mega scale is being carried out first time in India…
It is a unique ‘Make-in-India’ achievement as precision-manufactured sub-assemblies
produced here will be finally assembled together in France to deliver the
mammoth 30-meter diameter cryostat — the world’s largest vacuum vessel,” S N
Roy, MD at L&T Power, told ET.
Officials
said the project has given L&T a unique experience in working with highend
technology that will help it in the global market.
“We
are glad that this breakthrough project, once completed, will have significant
contributions from India’s engineering sector towards development of global
nuclear fusion energy. It (puts) L&T in the league of very few select group
of global companies,” Roy said.
While
the Indian share of the fabrication work will finish by the end of 2019, the
first experiments on the project are planned for 2025.
