November 2010
Energhia, the Halcrow-led consortium which also includes France’s Altran and Spain’s Idom, is set to play a major part in the development of the £8.5 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in Cadarache, southern France.
The ITER project aims to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of prolonged fusion energy generation – energy generated by reproducing the same process that exists in the core of our sun. The nuclear fusion process uses fuel that is abundant in nature, produces no carbon emissions, no air pollution, and is intrinsically safe. ITER is an internationally funded project with the European Union, the United States, China, Russia, India, Japan and Korea contributing to the cost.
Working on behalf of Fusion for Energy (F4E), the EU's joint undertaking for ITER and the development of fusion energy, Energhia will undertake design checking services, co-ordination of interfaces, general project management, and the supervision of between 15 and 20 construction contracts.
With a value of up to £23 million, the consortium will support F4E for an initial period of six years, with options to extend the contract for a further five years until 2021. F4E is responsible for the site ground works and the design and construction of 39 buildings that will house all the facilities and equipment necessary for the fusion power demonstration.
Halcrow’s regional director for power Europe, Ralph Watts, said: “The Energhia consortium was formed in 2008 with the specific objective of bringing together three world-class European engineering companies to help deliver the ITER project.
"The combined strengths of Halcrow, Altran and Idom deliver a strong nuclear engineering capability and expertise across the whole range of engineering and related disciplines. Energhia will integrate with F4E and will work with the other international organizations involved in ITER which is one of the world’s most exciting scientific and engineering projects.”