Organisation

Reflecting the European scale of its operations, EFDA has three locations, which each house a so-called Close Support Unit (CSU), responsible for one or more of EFDAs activities. The EFDA-CSU Garching is located in Garching, near Munich (Germany), and is hosted by the German Max-Planck Institut für Plasmaphysik. EFDA-CSU Culham is hosted by the UKAEA laboratory in Culham (UK), home of the Joint European Torus facilities. Finally, EFDA-CSU Barcelona is hosted by the Spanish fusion laboratory CIEMAT in Barcelona (Spain).

A large number of scientists and engineers from the associated laboratories work together on experiments on JET, fusion technology R & D, and design activities for ITER. The main task of the three Close Support Units is to ensure that all these diverse activities together are integrated in a coordinated European Fusion Programme.

Figure 1:organisation chart

The EFDA management consists of the EFDA Leader (Dr. Jérôme Paméla), the EFDA Associate Leader for Technology (Dr. Maurizio Gasparotto), and the EFDA-Associate Leader for JET (Dr. Francesco Romanelli).

The Close Support Unit in Garching

CSU-Garching undertakes physics and engineering activities in three main areas. In this section we only briefly introduce the areas, a detailed overview of the activities in Garching can be found in a different section.

Figure 2:The ITER device

The first area is the ITER activities: the European contribution to the international ITER project. ITER will be constructed in Europe (near Cadarache in the south of France).

Figure 3:Impression of a
future fusion power plant

The second area is the Long-Term activities, which focus on the technologies that will be needed for future commercial fusion power plants.

Figure 4:Analyzing power
plant concepts

The third area is the System Studies, in which the safety, environmental impact, economic viability, and other socio-economic aspects of future fusion power plants are addressed. These studies lead to a conceptual design of a power plant.

The Close Support Unit in Culham

Figure 4:Inside the Joint European Torus
in Culham near Oxford, UK

CSU-Culham runs the scientific programme of JET. Its tasks include the formulation and implementation of experimental campaigns, the preparation of the scientific workprogramme, and the scientific communication and publications. Since the 1^st of January 2000, JET is operated by the UKAEA (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Agency), and is collectively used by the European Fusion Associations. More information on the JET project is available here.

The Close Support Unit in Barcelona

EFDA-Barcelona, which became operational on the 1^st of September 2005, has the principal task of assuring the management of the site preparation for the ITER project in Cadarache.

Figure 5:The ITER site in Cadarache needs to be prepared
before the project can start

Planning and supervision

The planning and supervision of the activities carried out under EFDA is the responsibility of the EFDA Steering Committee (EFDA-SC) in which all the European Fusion Associations and the European Commission (representing Euratom), are represented. The Steering Committee approves the annual EFDA Workplan in which the goals, the schedule for activities, and the required financial resources are described.

The Steering Committee ensures the collaboration of the different EFDA-partners, and ensures that the Workplan is aligned with the long-term goals of EFDA. It also appoints the EFDA Leader and the EFDA Associate Leaders for Technology and JET, which are all proposed by the European Commission.

There are two Advisory Committees assisting the EFDA-SC: one for scientific and technical issues (the STAC, Science and Technology Advisory Committee) and one for financial issues (the AFAC, Administrative and Finance Advisory Committee).

Finally, the whole European Fusion Programme is controlled by the CCE-FU, in which national governments and the Associations are represented. CCE-FU stands for Consultative Committee for the EURATOM Specific Research and Training Programme in the Field of Nuclear Energy - Fusion.