The 31st Project Committee (PC#31) was held on the 16th and 17th of March 2023 at the QST Rokkasho Fusion Institute. For the first time since the Covid outbreak, all PC members were present onsite. Nonetheless, the open session was broadcasted as during Covid travel limitations, allowing about 20 experts to attend remotely from Japan and Europe.
The first day was dedicated to the project status and outlook with many presentations.
The main topics highlighted since the last PC#30 in October 2022 were the following:
- The repaired circulator 1B passed the Factory Acceptance Tests at the manufacturer premises;
- The LIPAc Unit implemented a strategy to enhance the cooling of the O-ring couplers in order to restart Phase B+ operation in a timely manner;
- The LIPAc Unit worked on improving the management of the spare parts and maintenance;
- The Fusion Neutron Source (FNS) activities made significant progress both on the Lithium Facility and on the Engineering Design, with the readiness of experimental test benches;
- The Fusion Neutron Source (FNS) management was improved with many technical exchanges illustrating a strong collaboration between Japan EU-HT and JA-HT.
On the second day, the PC members reviewed and approved the Record of Conclusions acknowledging the progress of the work and the consolidation of the schedule.