During a visit to Brazil in the last week of October, European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, suggested that Brazil join the seven-member International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, program. ITER, originally proposed by Russian Academician E.P. Velikhov in 1985, will be a tokamak fusion reactor, designed to produce net energy, as a critical demonstration for a commercial fusion reactor.
“Nuclear fusion is certainly one area where Brazil and the ITER members can cooperate more intensively,” a spokesman for the Commissioner said on Oct. 29 from Brussels. Initially, this might take the form of a bilateral agreement with the EU, but Brazil could later join as a full member.
ITER started out as a joint project of the United States, Soviet Union, Europe, and Japan. Currently, South Korea, India, and China are also members. Each participant pays 10% of the cost. The experimental reactor is being built in Cadarache, France.