U.S. joins in building ITER fusion project

PARIS, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The United States signed an agreement in Paris Tuesday to join in the building of the international fusion energy project known as ITER.

U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science Raymond Orbach, representing the United States, joined counterparts from China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation in signing the agreement.

"Signing this agreement brings us one step closer to a viable source of fusion power," Orbach said. "ITER also is the first stand alone, truly international, large-scale scientific research effort in the history of the world. It will surely serve as a model for future collaborative large scale science projects."

ITER -- originally an acronym standing for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor -- will be constructed at Cadarache, France, and is expected to be completed in 2015.

The EU, as host, will provide 45.46 percent of the construction phase funding. The United States, as a non-host partner, will provided 9.09 percent -- about 80 percent in-kind components, and about 20 percent in cash to a central fund and for personnel assigned to the project at the ITER site.