Brussels, 20/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - The future international thermonuclear experimental reactor, ITER, an international project underway in Cadarache (France), will not begin its work as planned in 2018. The ITER board of management, meeting on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November, decided to establish a new timetable for achieving first plasma by February 2010. This is realistic planning, acceptable to all parties, that takes technical and financial risks into account, the ITER council states in a press release. The seven-partner council (China, Korea, United States, Europe, India, Japan and Russia) adopted a new stage-by-stage approach in June: - the construction of first plasma at the end of 2018 and the beginning of operation with deuterium-tritium fuels (radioactive hydrogen isotopes) in 2026 (EUROPE 9925). The management council now calls on the organisation to fix two dates by the end of February 2010: - one “early date” in the most optimistic hypothesis, which integrates risk attenuation and realistic planning methods for activity by all national agencies; and another “later date” which takes into account risks inherent to the structure or to its components in consultation with national agencies and industries. European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potoènik welcomed this new scenario, saying: “The EU is committed to the success of ITER which has to be based on a realistic planning, acceptable to all parties, that mitigates the risks and associated costs at each step and is executed through sound management at all levels”. Nonetheless, given that the timetable is to be modified, costs will most certainly be modified also. Launched officially three years ago, the ITER project had been evaluated in 2001 at around €5 billion but the amount has since doubled to reach €10 billion for construction alone. To this must be added €5 billion more for operating costs. During its meeting, the ITER council adopted the project's budget for 2010, amounting to €174.8 million, and noted the launch of manufacturing of reactor elements. “ITER has made strong progress. We are now moving into the very exciting phase of global procurement and manufacturing”, said Kaname Ikeda of Japan, ITER Director General. (B.C./transl.jl)