Nuclear Fusion Research Institute and ITER Expand Cooperation to Accelerate Nuclear Fusion Technology Development

Signing of Research Collaboration Agreement

The Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) announced on the 25th that it has signed an agreement to strengthen research cooperation and exchange with the ITER International Organization. This agreement is the fourth renewal of the cooperation initially established between the two organizations in 2010 and is valid for five years from the date of signing.

Director Oh Young-guk (right) of the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy and Deputy Director-General Yutaka Kamada (left) of the ITER Organization. Photo by Korea Institute of Fusion Energy

During the cooperation process with the ITER International Organization, the importance of KFE's KSTAR as an ITER testbed was recognized, and there has been an active request to expand joint research utilizing KSTAR. Accordingly, the two organizations signed an agreement to expand and strengthen the scope of cooperation for joint experiments and research necessary for the successful construction and operational preparation of ITER.

KSTAR is equipped with a tungsten-material divertor environment identical to ITER’s, and plans to strengthen research on the development of fusion plasma scenarios based on the tungsten divertor environment, as well as plasma control and operation.

New cooperation will also be pursued in key areas such as the operation of superconducting magnet tests and neutral beam test facilities, which are critical tasks for ITER device construction, and simulation research using digital twin technology.

To effectively implement this agreement, the two organizations plan to conclude specific implementation agreements for each cooperation topic and establish a joint coordination committee to systematically promote research and technology development in the cooperative fields.

Oh Young-guk, President of KFE, stated, “Through this agreement, we will do our best to establish KSTAR as a central device for international joint research and to play a leading role in securing core fusion technologies based on a global research network.”