IFMIF-DONES and ESS strengthen their technological partnership following a visit to Granada
On April 27–28, a delegation from the European Spallation Source (ESS) visited the IFMIF-DONES facilities in Escúzar (Granada) to reinforce technical cooperation between the two infrastructures and advance the identification of specific areas for collaboration.
The ESS delegation included Ciprian Plostinar, Head of the Accelerators Department; Tom Shea, expert in Strategic Technologies; and Marcelo Juni Ferreira, Vacuum Group Leader.
As part of the agenda, Ciprian Plostinar delivered the technical seminar “ESS Installation, Testing and Commissioning Progress”, providing a detailed overview of the ESS project evolution, including its historical development, installation phases, testing activities and commissioning status.
The visit also included dedicated technical sessions addressing key topics for both facilities, such as beam dynamics, vacuum systems, beam diagnostics, cryogenics, control systems, and in-kind contribution management. These exchanges facilitated the sharing of experience in critical aspects related to the design, construction and operation of large-scale accelerator-based infrastructures.
In addition, the programme featured a technical tour of the IFMIF-DONES site, enabling the ESS delegation to gain first-hand insight into the current status of the project and its main facilities, as well as to jointly analyse key technological challenges.
The main objective of the visit was to deepen the already established relationship between ESS and IFMIF-DONES and to move forward with defining structured lines of collaboration in areas of common interest. ESS’s experience in accelerator commissioning and operation represents a significant strategic asset for IFMIF-DONES, particularly in critical phases related to system validation, integration and commissioning.
This visit aligns with IFMIF-DONES’ internationalisation strategy and strengthens its position in the European ecosystem of large-scale research infrastructures, building synergies with leading facilities in accelerator technology and fusion energy research.
