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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallITER’s revised schedule puts deuterium-tritium fusion operations in 2039, four years later than the 2035 target in the schedule used as its reference since 2016. But 2039 is not the date ITER is due to begin research operations: the current plan sets that start for 2034, with full magnetic energy planned for 2036.
ITER is the world’s largest experimental fusion facility, not a power station built to supply electricity to the grid. The date change reflects a reset of the project’s sequence and scope, as well as delays from the pandemic, component defects, repairs and commissioning work.
What does ITER’s 2039 date mean?
It is the planned start of deuterium-tritium (D-T) operations—the phase in which ITER will study fusion using those two hydrogen isotopes. It is not the first plasma, first research operation or date when the machine reaches full magnetic energy. ITER’s current overview and FAQ distinguish those milestones:
| Milestone | Current planned date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Research operations begin | 2034 | Start of the research-operation phase under the revised plan. |
| Full magnetic energy | 2036 | Planned date for the machine to reach full magnetic energy. |
| D-T operations | 2039 | Planned start of operations using deuterium and tritium. |
These dates come from ITER’s current project overview and official FAQ. The FAQ says the previous reference schedule put D-T operation in 2035, so that like-for-like milestone has moved four years. The revised plan reorganizes the route to scientific operation and begins research with a more complete machine; it is not a simple rescheduling of every old milestone.
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Why was ITER delayed?
The schedule change accounts for several setbacks and for additional time needed to assemble, repair and commission the machine. ITER’s FAQ identifies pandemic disruption, defects in key components, licensing and changes to the assembly and operations plan.
- COVID-era disruption: Factory closures, staff absences and transport backlogs affected manufacturing and delivery.
- Component defects and repairs: In November 2022, defects were reported in thermal-shield components and vacuum-vessel sectors. Repairing critical parts required time beyond the original plan.
- Licensing and revised planning: The replacement Baseline 2024 schedule incorporates the licensing process and an optimized assembly and operations plan, with more integrated commissioning time.
- Changed technical sequence: The plan changes the first-wall material from beryllium to tungsten and allows the research phase to start with a more complete machine.
Sibylle Günter, Scientific Director of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, characterized the old planning as too optimistic for a first-of-a-kind project. That is her assessment, not a formal project finding; the institute’s analysis of the new schedule describes the reset as a reorganization and reprioritization of work.
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How much progress has construction made?
ITER reported on 29 July 2026 that six of the tokamak’s nine sector modules had been installed, nearly six months ahead of schedule. At that point, the project targeted mid-2027 for installing the final module, followed by joining the sectors to complete the torus. ITER said sector-module installation was on the project’s critical path. These are dated progress and forecast figures, not confirmation that the 2039 milestone is guaranteed.
Each sector module combines a 440-tonne vacuum-vessel sector, thermal-shield panels and two toroidal-field coils of approximately 310 tonnes each. The nine double-walled stainless-steel sectors form the plasma chamber, and installation requires alignment to millimetre-level tolerances. The scale and precision help explain why assembly is a major schedule challenge. Details are in ITER’s 29 July 2026 construction update.
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Separately, the ITER Council’s 20 November 2025 release said the project’s Schedule Performance Index and Cost Performance Index were above 1.0 in 2024 and 2025 against Baseline 2024, describing performance under that baseline as somewhat ahead of schedule and spending less than anticipated. Those measures compare execution with the revised plan; they do not reverse the earlier delay or remove the risk of future slippage. The Council also identified sector-module assembly as the schedule critical path. See the 37th ITER Council meeting release.
What is ITER meant to prove?
ITER is an experimental magnetic-confinement tokamak being built at Saint-Paul-lez-Durance in southern France. It is designed to investigate whether fusion can be used as a large-scale energy source and to study conditions including burning plasma. ITER’s stated aim is to demonstrate scientific and technological feasibility and inform future demonstration plants—not to generate commercial electricity for the grid.
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ITER’s overview says its tokamak will have five times the plasma volume of the largest machine operating today. That comparison concerns plasma volume; it does not mean ITER is already an operating reactor. The project describes itself as the world’s largest experimental fusion facility.
How is ITER funded, and what does the delay cost?
There is no single clean construction-cost figure in one currency that captures the whole project. According to ITER’s FAQ, about 90 percent of member contributions are in kind: participating members provide components and buildings as well as funding. The FAQ gives Europe responsibility for approximately 45.5 percent of construction costs, with China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States each contributing approximately 9.1 percent. These are the figures on that official FAQ page, not a new cost audit.
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The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has reported estimates with different dates and bases. Its estimate associated with the 2039 completion date is an additional $5.4 billion in 2023 dollars, not a definitive total project cost. Earlier CRS estimates were $12 billion in 2006 (about $18 billion in 2023 dollars) and $21 billion in 2014 (about $27 billion in 2023 dollars). They should not be added together or treated as interchangeable totals.
| CRS estimate | Basis stated by CRS | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| $12 billion | 2006 estimate; about $18 billion in 2023 dollars | Historical estimate, not a current total. |
| $21 billion | 2014 estimate; about $27 billion in 2023 dollars | Historical estimate, not a current total. |
| Additional $5.4 billion | 2023 dollars, associated with the 2039 completion date | Additional cost estimate, not total project cost. |
These figures and their limits are in the CRS report on ITER. In-kind procurement across members, different national currencies and changing estimates make a single headline number easy to misread.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did Brexit affect the UK’s participation?
ITER’s current overview says the United Kingdom discontinued participation after Brexit and withdrawal from Euratom. Existing contracts were honoured, but no new contracts were concluded. It also says Switzerland renewed its association with EU programmes from 1 January 2026 and participates again. These participation details are as stated on the overview page; arrangements may change over time.
ITER’s seven members are China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States. The project overview describes the EU as representing its 27 member countries, alongside the six other participating states. For the current membership description, see ITER’s overview.
Does ITER settle the argument over fusion funding versus renewables?
No. ITER is an experiment intended to test scientific and technological questions relevant to future fusion plants; it is not an electricity source competing with wind, solar or geothermal power today. Whether its public investment is worthwhile depends on how governments weigh long-term fusion research against nearer-term energy priorities. A project schedule or cost estimate alone cannot settle that policy choice, and ITER’s experimental purpose should not be confused with a promise of future commercial power.
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