330 tonnes and 22 metres long: the giant cryostat arrives at ITER
At walking speed, the journey from Berre-l'Étang to the ITER site, a distance of 70 kilometers, would take around 16 hours. But for the cryostat, it took the Daher and Capelle teams five nights.
Measuring 22 metres long and 11 metres wide, and weighing 330 tonnes, this component is the longest and widest ever delivered to ITER. Navigating the tight curves of the 104-kilometer ITER route demanded patience and precision. Each stage of the journey required the temporary dismantling of lampposts, signs and bus stops to allow the convoy to pass.
This project, from design to delivery, was completed in just 30 months. The cryostat, manufactured by a Chinese consortium (ASIPP and SENPEC), was ready for shipment in the summer of 2025.
ITER General Manager Pietro Barabaschi attended the convoy's departure from Berre-l'Étang on September 29, alongside logistics teams from DAHER and Capelle. The special large-gauge route was perfectly negotiated, including the passage between two cliffs for which millimetric measurements had been taken.
Today, the 330-ton cryostat is stored in the former cryostat workshop, ready to be insulated before being transferred to the magnet cold test facility, already partially operational at 4 K (-269°C).
