Vacuum vessel welding | Contract awarded to Spanish company
The ITER Organization has concluded a contract with the Spanish company ENSA (Equipos Nucleares SA) for the welding of the ITER vacuum vessel.
The contract covers the welding of ITER's 9 vacuum vessel sector sub-assemblies and 54 ports. The work will take place inside of the Tokamak pit, as sector sub-assemblies are lowered one by one and welded according to a plan than aims to minimize deformation.ENSA is no stranger to the vacuum vessel welding project; since 2012 the company has been working under a phased contract with the ITER Organization to first develop specific welding processes and tools and then to procure the equipment. Phase three of the project—the execution of the welding works—was awarded to the firm in October 2020 following an international competition based on a negotiated procedure.