The Spanish Ministry of Science and the Regional Government of Andalusia will form the candidacy’s Consortium, with €1.5 million between 2020 and 2023, covered 50 % by each of the signing parties

The Council of Ministers has authorised the adjustment of the budgetary limits to fulfil the cost commitments derived from the agreement between the Ministry of Science and the Regional Government of Andalusia to establish the Consortium that will support Spain’s candidacy and the construction of the scientific infrastructure ‘International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility -Demo Oriented Neutron Source’ (IFMIF-DONES) and the management of R&D related projects.

This step strengthens Spain’s proposal to build this facility in Granada, a joint initiative between Spain and Croatia which has the full support of the European Fusion Program. The aim is to host the IFMIF-DONES neutron source, a unique scientific infrastructure that will allow to qualify the materials of future fusion reactors.

The IFMIF-DONES project is developed under the framework of an ambitious program that the European Union is implementing to develop fusion as a source of energy, in an international cooperation with China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States, partners in ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).

The Council of Ministers authorised last December the signing of the Agreement by which the funds devoted to the period 2020-2023 rise to €1.5 million, covered 50 % by the Spanish Government and 50 % by the Regional Government of Andalusia. A total of 16.3 million had been authorised previously by the Spanish Government through CIEMAT for the DONES-PRIME project, focused on the preparatory activities for the siting of IFMIF-DONES and related laboratories, €13 million of which are funded by the Spanish ERDF Pluri-regional Operative Program 2014-2020.

Should Spain’s candidacy succeed, the Consortium would be extended. As the host country, Spain would therefore provide support to the international organism created for the construction of IFMIF-DONES.