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Official presentation of the DONES-PRIME project

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The Director of the IFMIF-DONES España Consortium, Moisés Weber, attended the official presentation of the DONES-PRIME project, “Preparatory activities for the IFMIF-DONES site”, held in Madrid at an event organised by CIEMAT’s National Fusion Laboratory at the National Museum of Natural Sciences.

DONES-PRIME has enabled the construction of several buildings and laboratories in the town of Escúzar (Granada), where IFMIF-DONES is located—the largest international investment in R&D&I in the history of Spain. Thanks to this European-funded project, CIEMAT has built the first IFMIF-DONES buildings (administration, warehouse and access control), carried out the site studies required for the design of the facility and for obtaining the necessary licences, and constructed support laboratories for the plant, such as the LITEC lithium loop.

During his presentation, Weber reviewed the history, current status, and future plans of the scientific facility, highlighting recent milestones, including the contracts he recently managed for the construction of the main building, which will house the core technological infrastructure. This was followed by Beatriz Brañas, a researcher at the National Fusion Laboratory, who explained the project’s scope, the results achieved, and summarised its development.

The Secretary General for Research at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Eva Ortega, who also took part in the event, stated that IFMIF-DONES “transcends borders and generations, representing a firm commitment by the State to knowledge, innovation and the future.”

For her part, the Secretary General for European Funds at the Ministry of Finance, Mercedes Caballero, highlighted that DONES-PRIME “is a clear example of how European funds help build European strategic autonomy from the territories, including in less developed regions.”

The representative of the European Commission, Paula Ceballos, who also participated in the opening of the event, stated that the European Union has been a key partner since the beginning of the project, having laid the administrative and operational foundations for the development of IFMIF-DONES, and noted that “European funds are not only a financial investment, but also a tool to stimulate innovation, growth and, above all, the competitiveness of Europe and its companies.”

For her part, the Director General of CIEMAT, Yolanda Benito, highlighted CIEMAT’s role as scientific and technical coordinator, participating from the earliest design stages through to site preparation. She recalled that this project presentation is the result of more than 15 years of joint work between public institutions, industry and different public administrations. “DONES symbolises Spain’s commitment to excellence in science, technological innovation and sustainable development,” said the Director General of CIEMAT.

The event concluded with a panel discussion moderated by the Head of CIEMAT’s Fusion Technologies Division, David Rapisarda. The panel featured the participation of CIEMAT’s Director General, Yolanda Benito; the Deputy Director General for Consortia, International Scientific Organisations and Infrastructures at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Inmaculada Figueroa; the Deputy Assistant Director General for Large Scientific and Technical Facilities, Ángela Fernández Curto; and the Building Director at Edhinor, José Antonio Abad. During the discussion, participants highlighted their perspectives on the project and the lessons learned during implementation.

DONES-PRIME

The DONES-PRIME project, which began in 2019 and will conclude on 31 December this year, involves the construction of buildings and the execution of the first activities at the future IFMIF-DONES site (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility – Demo Oriented NEutron Source). IFMIF-DONES is an international scientific facility designed to study the materials to be used in future nuclear fusion reactors and is located in the municipality of Escúzar (Granada). Promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and CIEMAT, and funded by European ERDF funds, this infrastructure is also key to the ITER project and will contribute to making fusion a safe, clean and viable source of energy in the future.

The main objective of the DONES-PRIME project, carried out by CIEMAT through an agreement with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has been to drive the construction of IFMIF-DONES in Spain. To this end, the first buildings have been constructed on the plot designated for the facility in Escúzar (Granada), some of the necessary laboratories (radiofrequency and lithium purification) have been initiated, and site characterisation studies for IFMIF-DONES have been carried out. These studies are essential for building design, component support, and the preparation of documentation required for licensing. The project had a budget of €16.3 million and was co-funded by ERDF funds.

You can watch the video of the event here: https://youtu.be/LS6CTV5_jkY

 
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