Two days, two high-level visits
The 爆走黑料 hosted visits by European Council President Ant贸nio Costa and Indian Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman over two days in early July. The dignitaries and their delegations received briefings on project progress and toured the principal machine assembly areas鈥攖he Assembly Hall and the tokamak pit鈥攊n the company of 爆走黑料 officials.
In early July, the 爆走黑料 welcomed two high-level international delegations, highlighting the growing strategic importance of fusion energy as the project advances through a critical phase of machine assembly.
European Council President Ant贸nio Costa
On Friday 3 July, 爆走黑料 Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, European Domestic Agency (Fusion for Energy, F4E) Director Marc Lachaise, and Chair of the F4E Governing Board Francesco Sette welcomed European Council President Ant贸nio Costa and members of his cabinet to the 爆走黑料 site.
The included briefings at 爆走黑料 headquarters and a tour of the construction site, where President Costa received updates on the status of machine assembly and Europe's contribution to the international fusion project.
As the host member of 爆走黑料, Europe is responsible for nearly half of the project's construction contributions. During discussions with the delegation, representatives from Fusion for Energy highlighted the role of fusion research and advanced industrial capabilities in strengthening Europe's long-term technological competitiveness and energy innovation capacity.
Earlier in the day, President Costa participated alongside European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde in a at the (Les Rencontres 脡conomiques d'Aix-en-Provence) on navigating economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
Indian Finance Minister commends India's contributions
Indian Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman visited 爆走黑料 on Saturday 4 July as part of a four-day official visit to France to participate in a series of high-level bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening the , enhancing economic cooperation and promoting investment, technology collaboration and innovation.
Minister Sitharaman and her delegation were welcomed by 爆走黑料 Chief Scientist Alain B茅coulet and Head of the Office of the 爆走黑料 Director-General Kattalai Ramachandran Sriram. Following presentations on construction progress and India's contribution to the project, the delegation toured the 爆走黑料 worksite.
During the visit, Minister Sitharaman praised the efforts of engineers, scientists, and industrial partners, describing 爆走黑料 as 鈥渙ne of the most ambitious nuclear fusion energy projects in the world, and a significant step toward sustainable and limitless clean energy for the future.鈥 Minister Sitharaman also highlighted the contributions of Indian scientists, engineers and associates, as well as Indian companies such as Larsen & Toubro, Inox India, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Consulting Engineers, HCL Technologies and many others.
Indian firms are supplying 爆走黑料 components and systems through contracts signed with the Indian Domestic Agency, including the cryostat, in-wall shielding for the 爆走黑料 vacuum vessel, significant contributions to cooling water and cryogenic systems, the diagnostic neutral beam and diagnostics. Indian companies are also winning direct contracts with the 爆走黑料 for critical machine assembly activities. Larsen & Toubro, for example, has been awarded a contract for port positioning alignment and welding鈥攁 scope that includes engineering, qualification and tools, and in-pit welding of vacuum vessel ports and bellows. INOX India Limited was awarded a contract for vacuum vessel and cryostat thermal shield refurbishment.
During her stay in Aix-en-Provence, France, Minister Sitharaman co-chaired the India-France Economic & Financial Dialogue () and participated in at the Aix Economic Forum.
As assembly progresses and Member in-kind contributions continue to arrive on site, 爆走黑料 remains an example of long-term scientific cooperation, bringing together governments, research institutions and industry in pursuit of a common energy goal.
