The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has completed the final component of its powerful pulsed superconducting magnet system, marking a major step forward in global nuclear fusion research.
ITER, a multinational project involving China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States, aims to build and operate an experimental fusion reactor in southern France. The project’s goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion as a safe and clean energy source by the 2030s.
Fusion is the same process that powers the Sun, producing energy by fusing light elements like hydrogen into heavier ones such as helium. Unlike nuclear fission, fusion carries no risk of meltdown and produces no long-lived radioactive waste.
The final magnet component— the sixth and last module of ITER’s Central Solenoid— was built and tested in the United States, ITER announced on Thursday. This solenoid is the most powerful magnet in the system and will eventually be assembled at ITER’s site in France. When completed, it will be strong enough to lift an aircraft carrier.
This pulsed magnet system forms the electromagnetic core of ITER’s Tokamak, a donut-shaped reactor designed to contain and control the fusion reaction.
With the delivery of most key parts, ITER has entered the assembly phase. In April 2025, engineers successfully inserted the first vacuum vessel sector module into the Tokamak Pit— three weeks ahead of schedule.
In recent years, fusion research has accelerated, driven by technical progress and growing global interest in zero-emission energy. While commercial fusion remains elusive, the completion of ITER’s Central Solenoid is a major milestone in the effort to unlock this potential energy breakthrough.
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