Italian companies ENEA and Eni have announced that they will work together in a strategic alliance on a €600 million ($665m) project to establish a scientific and technological centre for fusion – Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) in ENEA’s Research Centre in Frascati (Rome).
DDT Scarl is a joint venture owned 25% by Eni, 74% by ENEA and 1% by Consorzio CREATE.
The Divertor Tokamak Test will be built over seven years and will see the participation of the Consorzio CREATE, the European Investment Bank (with a record funding of €250 million from the European Fund for Strategic Investments), the European Consortium EUROfusion (€60 million from Horizon 2020 funds), the Minister of Economic Development and the Ministry of University and Research (€80 million), Lazio Region (€25 million plus the cost of connection to the national electricity grid), ENEA (€30 million), and other international partners (€30 million).
“With this agreement between the world of research and that of industry, Italy is relaunching its leadership role within a sector that is strategic for our country’s competitiveness: that of fusion," said ENEA President Federico Testa. Italian companies have already won over €1.2 billion in contracts and are considered among the best in the world, he added.
Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said the partnership reflects Eni’s strategic vision for the transformation of the global energy sector, in which magnetic confinement fusion will be able to play a major role.
"Our know-how of the industry, as well as our skills on the management and development of large projects, combined with the excellence in scientific research offered by ENEA, are the pillars for the success of this extremely important initiative and infrastructure which rests on an all-Italian set of skills and technologies,” Descalzi added.
DTT Project was created to deliver scientific and technological solutions for some of the challenges of the fusion process. These include the management of extremely high temperatures and the materials to be used, and it provides support and testing infrastructure for the most advanced technological solutions to be implemented at major international fusion projects.
Photo: ENEA and Eni will work together in a strategic alliance for fusion research (Credit: ENEA)
