P.N. Maya
The design strategy for fusion demonstration (DEMO) reactors is evolving worldwide because of the advancement in fusion plasma science, the emergence of new ideas, advanced manufacturing techniques, new materials and other technologies. New learning is arising from the experience of constructing complex and first-of-a-kind systems for ITER. These elements are influencing the strategies for the realization of fusion energy that aim for a high-performance, cost-effective DEMO. Almost a decade earlier, the designs of DEMO were aimed at large devices with fusion power of ∼3 GW. Many of these designs were based on the idea of a single step from ITER to DEMO. Lately, this has changed to at least a two-stage program where an intermediate step of a fusion pilot plant (PP) seems necessary to fill in the gaps between ITER and a power plant. These PP concepts are of a few 100s of MW of fusion power, smaller in size compared to ITER but with the capability to demonstrate electricity production.
In this talk we summarize some of these developments and discuss the requirement of a staged approach for the realization of DEMO. We specifically discuss the case for a gross-electricity producing fusion pilot plant in the global fusion electricity roadmap.
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