»fusion«

In Paris the seven partners to construct the future fusion power testing site ITER signed the agreement on Tuesday. It's a five to ten billion euros project and thus one of the major energy and industrial investments on a global scale. For Deutschlandfunk radio (21.11.2006) correpondent Frank Grotelüschen visited the location of ITER at Cadarache in southern France. He strolls the area with scientists involved into the project and explains by the way how fusion energy works and what roadmap we have to anticipate. By 2008 construction works will start at Cadarache; by 2016 the first plasma shall be ignited; experiments will last for more than 15 or 20 years; by 2050 a first fusion power station is awaited -- in case all works fine. Essentially, ITER shall give the proof of principle that mankind can harness Sun's energy generating process on Earth.