On a planet increasingly confronted with the realities of climate change, finding more sustainable sources of energy is critical. The ITER project, which brings together scientists and experts from around the world, is working to do just that. For more than a decade, the ITER project has been working to prove that a new source of energy – one that could transform the way we work and live – is possible. This new energy is nuclear fusion, the same energy source that powers the sun.

Fusing atoms together in a controlled way releases nearly four million times more energy than a chemical reaction such as the burning of coal, oil, or gas, and four times as much as nuclear fission reactions (at equal mass). Fusion has the potential to provide the kind of baseload energy needed to provide electricity to our cities and our industries.

But that’s easier said than done, because in the laboratory certain conditions must be fulfilled to achieve fusion. That’s why the ITER project is working to build the world’s largest tokamak, inside of which a plasma is controlled by strong magnetic fields for use by a fusion power plant to produce steam and electricity via turbines and generators.

A decade-long partnership in pursuit of a new energy source

Capgemini has been working with the ITER project for over a decade to help realize its vision, from construction to engineering to project management. Teams comprising hundreds of people have lent their engineering expertise, both to the construction of the buildings as well as the validation and refinement of the scientists’ vision. This way, they can ensure that their designs are feasible. In an environment where everything from heat and size is extreme, every design and component is one-of-a-kind. Review and validation by Capgemini expert engineers are therefore critical to the long-term success of the project.

The ITER project aims to provide a blueprint for future energy generation across the globe. It’s why, in addition to its core project management and engineering focus, Capgemini has developed a prototype of an interactive, digital twin of the project – down to the last technical detail – which all members of the interconnected global team would be able to access with a click of a button. Sharing the whole project this way would ensure that everyone fully understands its aim and function to make clearer decisions and reach goals faster. And when the goal of fusion is reached, teams across the globe will be able to access plans and build plants for themselves.

“The promise of the ITER project is to finally open the way to fusion energy.”

Alain Becoulet, Engineering Domain Head, ITER Organization