On February 10, 2023, the Russian PF1 poloidal field coil arrived at the construction site of the world's first international thermonuclear experimental reactor ITER. This is the largest and one of the most important components for future installation developed and manufactured in Russia.

The PF1 poloidal field coil was shipped from the territory of JSC “SNSZ” (St. Petersburg) on November 01, 2022, and delivered by sea to the port of Berre (France), from where accompanied by a convoy on a special transport platform, the coil was given to the site of the ITER reactor construction along an equipped route designed for the transportation of superheavy large-sized components of the future thermonuclear installations.

In his welcoming speech, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, noted the significance and uniqueness of the delivered reactor component: “The best Russian experts participated in the creation of the PF1 coil. They have developed advanced technologies, methods and production solutions. I especially want to emphasize that inside, in the heart of the coil, there is a Russian superconductor produced by a whole team of domestic enterprises. The ITER project is a vivid example of the closest international technical cooperation. The successful completion of the PF1 coil and its delivery to the reactor construction site demonstrate that Russia has been, is, and will be an integral part of the ITER project and the global thermonuclear research in general”.

Pietro Barabaschi, Director General of the International Organization ITER, congratulated his Russian colleagues on completing the task. “We are glad that Russia has successfully manufactured and supply of a poloidal field coil. Superconducting magnets for ITER require unprecedented accuracy. They are manufactured in six countries – China, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, and this made the task even more difficult, but also helped to create a common global body of knowledge”, Barabaschi said.

The PF1 coil (diameter 9 m, weight 200 tons) is one of the six coils of the poloidal field in the magnetic system, which serves to hold plasma in the ITER reactor. The coil is a complex product based on eight superconducting two-layer double pancake. This is one of the 25 systems included in the sphere of responsibility of the Russian Federation within the framework of the international ITER project. The PF1 coil refers to the elements necessary to produce the first plasma at the installation. The most important technologies and equipment for the manufacture of the coil were developed at JSC NIIEFA (part of the Rosatom State Corporation), direct manufacturing was carried out on the territory of JSC SNSZ.

The first of eight double pancake was wound and qualified in 2016, and the last in 2019. In March 2021, the vacuum-injection impregnation of the coil winding was completed – one of the most challenging and responsible stages of magnet manufacturing. In March 2022, the Russian coil successfully passed a series of acceptance tests before being sent to the International Organization ITER. In accordance with the requirements of the ITER Organization dictated by the highest degree of importance of the PF1 coil for obtaining the first plasma in the reactor, during factory acceptance tests, the product passed several stages of verification. 

The agreement on the manufacture and supply of the PF1 coil between the Russian Agency ITER and the International Organization ITER was signed in 2011. This is one of two poloidal field coils, the manufacture of which takes place in the participating countries of the project. The remaining four, due to their large size, are assembled directly at the construction site of the future installation.

UzA