New Delhi: L&T Heavy Engineering-manufactured 1,250 MT-Cryostat base, the single largest section of the World's Largest Nuclear Fusion Reactor, was successfully lifted and placed into the reactor building in France recently, accomplishing a major milestone in the nuclear engineering world. "Assembly tools of Cryostat were delivered during the lockdown by the Heavy Engineering arm of Larsen & Toubro to ensure the uninterrupted assembly of Cryostat in Reactor pit in southern France. The cryostat forms the vacuum-tight container, surrounding the reactor vacuum vessel and the superconducting magnets, and acts essentially as a very large refrigerator," an official statement said.
The reactor base, the single largest and heaviest Tokamak component of the world's largest stainless-steel, high-vacuum, pressure chamber Cryostat, will eventually contain the rest of the reactor.
On this occasion, Dr Bernard Bigot, Director-General, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) organisation, said, "We thank L&T for the timely deliveries, in the current difficult circumstances, of the Cryostat base alignment tool and shims which are critical to install cryostat base, as brilliantly manufactured by L&T since 2015. This installation into the ITER Tokamak building is a significant activity for other downstream activities to achieve the mission for a First Plasma as soon as possible by the end of 2025. This could have been possible, amidst COVID-19 lockdown period, only due to the extraordinary dedicated efforts of L&T team and the invaluable support of the Indian government authorities. L&T has always been a trusted partner in meeting the goals of ITER."
India is among the seven elite countries funding the $20-billion ITER programme in Cadarache, France. ITER India, a wing of Department of Atomic Energy, is the overall in-charge of the Indian participation for this ambitious mega scientific project.
L&T has also already delivered the Lower Cylinder of the Cryostat in March 2019 and Upper Cylinder in March this year. The final part, the Top Lid Sectors will be dispatched from Hazira in July. The project scope for L&T Heavy Engineering is divided into three parts — firstly manufacturing and shipping of all subassembly sections from L&T Hazira, Gujarat, then constructing a temporary workshop at the project site in France for assembling the cryostat sections into large assemblies and lastly, to integrate the cryostat inside the Tokamak Reactor building.
Commenting on the momentous achievement, Anil V Parab, Executive Vice President and Head, L&T Heavy Engineering said, "ITER is a first of its kind futuristic global project. The cryostat is the largest vacuum vessel ever built with 29.4 metres in diameter, 29 metres in height, weighing 3,850 MT. Successful delivery of such complex projects is ingrained in L&T's culture."
"We are proud of L&T Heavy Engineering's Nuclear Team, which is showcasing Indian capabilities, in high technology area at a global stage with pride. This is a testimony to the strong pedigree and world-class manufacturing capabilities of L&T," he added.
L&T's Heavy Engineering business won the prestigious contract in 2012. This is one of the world's largest research projects that seeks to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power.