The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, designed to demonstrate the scientific viability of nuclear fusion as a future sustainable energy source, risks further cost overruns and delays in its execution, warns a report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) published on Thursday 12 November.
This report analyses the accounts of all European Union joint undertakings - public-private partnerships that the EU establishes with industry, research groups, international organisations and Member States - for the financial year 2019, including those of ‘Fusion for Energy’ (F4E), the joint undertaking responsible for providing the EU contribution to ITER.
While the auditors have validated all the accounts, judging that they present fairly the financial situation of the joint undertakings, they have nevertheless identified some areas for improvement, in particular with regard to F4E.
The report points out that F4E has recalculated its contribution to the construction phase of the project at €12 billion (in 2008 prices), an increase of €5.4 billion compared to the amount approved by the EU Council in 2010, without taking into account contingencies. However, the European Commission considers that a margin of contingency of up to 24 months for the calendar and between 10 and 20% for the budget would be appropriate, the ECA points out.
In addition to the risk that F4Ewill suffer from further cost overruns and delays to the approved baseline, the auditors believe that F4E’s procurement management, human resources and project management have weaknesses that jeopardise its operational effectiveness.
Finally, the Court of Auditors also draws attention to the consequences which the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union could have on the activities of F4E and the ITER project after 2020.
See the report: https://bit.ly/3kp0jS8 (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)