Fusion Energy: ASG will make the magnetic heart of ENEA’s DTT

GENOA, Italy: Italy is working on the future of fusion energy with the goal of producing renewable and safe energy with the same process as the sun and stars: the machine called DTT – Divertor Tokamak Test is under construction in the ENEA Centre in Frascati and ASG Superconductors will make its magnetic heart composed of 18 superconductive toroidal coils.

The 18 superconductive TF coils, which measure over 6 meters and weigh 16 tons each, will be produced in a 48month period at the ASG La Spezia plant thanks to careful selection of materials, innovative production processes, computerized mechanical and magnetic quality measurements, high-tech thermal reaction conductors treatment and welding processes to extremely stringent geometric tolerances.

The order for the 18 maxi magnets able to contain and stabilize the plasma was assigned to ASG Superconductors following an international tender for a total value of 33 million euros.

The Italian DTT infrastructure will be a focal point of scientific and industrial research for the realization of fusion for reliable and durable clean energy.

The DTT machine generates energy by converting the heat released by the fusion reaction: it is a question of compressing a deuterium and tritium gas until it forms a plasma that must reach and maintain temperatures equal to 200,000,000°C – about 10 times the interior temperature of the Sun.

The DTT will be, along with ITER in France and JT-60SA in Japan, among the most important predecessors of DEMO, the first fusion-based power plant.

ASG has developed and built superconducting magnets for the most important fusion energy projects over the last 40 years. Also, it is involved on major projects such as ITER—the largest international fusion collaboration. Under the co-ordination of Fusion for Energy, ASG has been involved in the toroidal and poloidal coils production.

ASG collaborates on the theme of fusion also with UKAEA – United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency. The skills of ASG are not limited to fabrication of magnets, but also include studies and consultancy on material properties, mechanics, cryogenics, industrial engineering and project management throughout the supply chain from design to installation.

The know-how gained by ASG in these particular projects will contribute to real innovation in everyday life thanks to the development of new superconductive cables and systems. These innovations will in fact be revolutionary in industrial processes with high-energy consumption and for smart and future electricity grids.

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