The Demonstration Power Plant

The DEMOnstration power plant DEMO functions as ITER's successor. The planned transition from ITER to DEMO symbolizes the fusion project's shift from a scientific-theoretical framework towards an economic-technological context.

While one purpose of DEMO is energy production, the research project will not yet generate electricity for economic consumption. Nevertheless, DEMO contributes significantly to the possibility of a future energy supply through fusion enegery and the research of such.

A timeline that illustrates the development starting with JET and continuing with ITER until DEMO. It ends with the realisation of a fusion power plant.
The path from ITER to DEMO to a commercial power plant | © UKAEA (formerly CCFE)

Development and Conceptual Design

DEMO aims to demonstrate controlling a plasma of highest quality and must prove that fusion power plants can safely and continuously produce electricity. For this reason, a power plant such as DEMO must undergo regular maintenance work that should be safe, quick and reliable.

In concrete terms, DEMO should generate between 300 Megawatt to 500 Megawatt net electricity and demonstrate a closed fuel-cycle (= the reprocessing of the constantly required tritium fuel). In order to meet these requirements, the Power Plant Physics & Technology Team works to prepare DEMO as accurately as possible.

Further Information

You can find more information regarding DEMO on EUROfusion's website.

The ITER website provides you with a variety of articles concerning DEMO, such as