A much-delayed nuclear fusion project involving more than 30 countries is ready to assemble the world's most powerful magnet - a key part of efforts to generate clean energy by smashing atoms together at super-high temperatures.
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, based in southern France and backed by the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the European Union, needs the magnetic system to create an "invisible cage" to confine super-hot plasma particles that combine and fuse to release energy.
ITER said late on Wednesday that the final component of the system - the central solenoid - had been completed and tested by the United States, and assembly was now underway.
"It is like the bottle in a bottle of wine: of course the wine is maybe more important than the bottle, but you need the bottle in order to put the wine inside," said Pietro Barabaschi, ITER's director general.
The magnet was originally scheduled for completion in 2021, but has been beset by delays.
"To be behind schedule by four years after 10 years of effort shows just how troubled this project is," said Charles Seife, a professor at New York University who writes about nuclear fusion.
Barabaschi said the "crisis" was now over and construction was proceeding at the fastest pace in ITER's history. The start-up phase of the project will begin in 2033, when it is scheduled to start generating plasma.
He said ITER proved that countries could still cooperate despite geopolitical tensions.
"They have a very, very strong cohesion of objectives and for the time being I see no sign of a withdrawal from anyone."
Fusion investment has been growing, with dozens of initiatives currently underway. Several private start-ups have said they can build commercial fusion reactors within a decade.
Barabaschi said he was sceptical but supportive of the dozens of ventures in development across the world.
"We already know that we can get fusion," he said. "The question is, are we going to get fusion in such a way that it would be cost-effective?
"I am quite sceptical that we will be able to achieve this within, say, one or even two decades. Frankly speaking, it will take more time."
The World Bank has approved a $640 million loan to Bangladesh to help improve gas supply security and reduce dangerous air pollution in urban areas.
KazMunayGas (KMG) and China’s Sinopec have reached an agreement on the terms for jointly implementing the Berezovski subsoil use project in Kazakhstan’s West Kazakhstan region. The signed documents outline joint activities and formalize the strategic partnership between the two companies.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Afrim Gashi, President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, expressing satisfaction over bilateral ties and future cooperation opportunities.
The European Commission is set to unveil legal measures on Tuesday aimed at ending imports of Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2027, in a move that would formalize the European Union’s shift away from Russian energy supplies following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Kazakhstan has named China’s CNNC as a strategic partner in its nuclear power expansion plans, signaling deeper energy cooperation between the two countries.
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform was held in Bonn, Germany.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his assassination threat against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating that he has instructed the military that “no one is untouchable in Iran."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MFA), along with our embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the consulate general in Tabriz, continues the process of evacuating Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners from Iranian territory.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has strongly rejected allegations that the IAEA Board of Governors’ June 12 report provided Israel with justification to attack Iran. Grossi emphasized that the agency’s role and reports can never be used to legitimize
Denmark announced it will continue backing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership despite Hungary’s ongoing blockade, as it prepares to assume the presidency of the European Council on July 1.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has cancelled certain flights scheduled for 13th and 14th June amid recent escalation of situation in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in several countries for security reasons.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 17th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform was held in Bonn, Germany.
Egypt’s first integrated solar and battery storage plant will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability and manage peak demand. The project is expected to generate approximately 3,000 GWh of clean energy and avoid up to 1.4 million metric tonnes of emissions per year.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, has announced a record £2.5 billion in additional funding this week to advance the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.
A historic May heat wave pushed Greenland’s ice melt to 17 times its average rate and sent Iceland’s temperatures soaring to record-breaking highs, raising urgent alarms about Arctic climate vulnerability.
Climate change could slash over 5% from Italy’s GDP by 2050 if no action is taken, according to the national budget watchdog, highlighting the urgent need for global emissions cuts.
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform was held in Bonn, Germany.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his assassination threat against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating that he has instructed the military that “no one is untouchable in Iran."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MFA), along with our embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the consulate general in Tabriz, continues the process of evacuating Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners from Iranian territory.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has strongly rejected allegations that the IAEA Board of Governors’ June 12 report provided Israel with justification to attack Iran. Grossi emphasized that the agency’s role and reports can never be used to legitimize
Denmark announced it will continue backing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership despite Hungary’s ongoing blockade, as it prepares to assume the presidency of the European Council on July 1.
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