The MARIA research reactor will test the components of the ITER fusion reactor, which is under construction in France

On September 13, 2022, the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) signed a framework agreement with the ITER Organization (IO) under which material samples and diagnostic windows for use in the ITER fusion reactor will be tested. To test them, engineers and scientists from the MARIA reactor will design unique thermostatic capsules that will recreate the conditions in the place of their final installation. The capsules will be placed in the core of our reactor, irradiated, and then tested using specialized research equipment.

The ITER reactor is a tokamak constructed since 2013 at the French research centre Cadarache, and researchers from almost all over the world are involved in this project. Its goal is to achieve a stable thermonuclear reaction in 2031. Based on the experience of its operation, the construction of the first experimental fusion power plant is planned after 2050, NCBJ and MARIA also take part in this project, testing the components and reliability of the appropriate experimental installations.