The Spanish Government Delegate in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, visited today the IFMIF-DONES facilities in Escúzar (Granada), where he held his first meeting with the project’s new interim director, Moisés Weber. Following the meeting, he announced that “one of the most significant milestones achieved in recent weeks has been the granting of the municipal building permit for the main accelerator building by the Escúzar Town Council.” He added that “if everything proceeds as planned, construction work on the main building could begin after the summer,” emphasizing that “this progress represents a fundamental step toward the full realization of the project.”

During the visit, which comes one year after the signing of the memorandum of collaboration with Japan, Pedro Fernández stated that “we are facing the most important scientific facility promoted by the Government led by Pedro Sánchez, and a major hub for attracting talent to Andalusia. It is part of a national strategy designed by the Spanish Government to promote projects that are already transforming Andalusia.”

Fernández also highlighted that “the Government has already secured the first phase of funding, amounting to more than €200 million, and has awarded over €250 million in contracts for the next four years, including the one signed last week for the acquisition of equipment for the test area.”

The delegate, who also met with part of the team of scientists and researchers already working at the facilities, reported that “IFMIF-DONES already has top-level scientists and researchers working on internationally significant projects, placing Granada and Spain at the forefront of research into the energy of the future.” In this regard, he added that “in the coming months, staff are expected to move into the buildings constructed by CIEMAT. Currently, around 65 professionals from the IFMIF-DONES Consortium and another 16 from F4E are working in Escúzar, while 34 recruitment processes for new staff are underway. As a result, the workforce is expected to exceed one hundred employees between the end of this year and the beginning of next.”

Pedro Fernández emphasized that over the past year “decisive steps have been taken to turn this strategic project into a tangible reality,” thanks to secured funding, strengthened international partnerships, and progress in construction and strategic contracts.

At the international level, he recalled that Japan, Italy, and the European Commission are already officially participating in the project alongside Spain and Croatia. Negotiations for Germany’s incorporation are also progressing, and initial contacts have been established with France. Furthermore, international interest in IFMIF-DONES continues to grow, as demonstrated by the recent visit of a Dutch delegation and the presence of representatives from a leading Chinese scientific institute interested in learning about the development of the infrastructure.

In parallel, last Friday saw the signing of the third Procurement Arrangement, the agreement regulating Spain’s contribution of components for the test area, which specifies the supply of new scientific equipment for the project.

Text: Government Delegation in Andalusia