Cadarache

The Jules Horowitz Reactor (Réacteur Jules Horowitz, RJH) is a materials testing reactor (MTR) cooled and moderated with water. It is under construction at Cadarache in southern France, based on the recommendations of the European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures Report, which was published by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in 2006. The reactor, which is named for the 20th-century French nuclear scientist Jules Horowitz. The reactor is designed to have a good neutron economy that results in large numbers of thermal neutrons being available around the outside of the reactor core. The neutrons from this source can be used in many materials testing and other experimental roles. The system also allows samples to be inserted directly into the core, where they are exposed to high-energy neutrons, which is useful for isotope preparation. Similar reactors were common in the 1950s and 60s, but most have reached the end of their practical lifespans, and few new ones have been commissioned. This has led to a crisis in the worldwide supply of medical isotopes, one of the major roles of the JHR. Site preparation began in 2007, followed by the first concrete in the summer of 2009. The central containment structure was completed with the addition of a 105-tonne (103-long-ton; 116-short-ton) dome in December 2013. At the time it was predicted the system would be operational in 2014. Since then the site has suffered from significant delays, leading to a complete re-organization of the management. Current estimates suggest first criticality sometime after 2030.

Rapsodie was an experimental nuclear reactor built in Cadarache in France. It was France's first fast reactor, and first achieved criticality in 1967. Rapsodie was a sodium-cooled fast neutron loop-type reactor with a thermal output of 40MW and no electrical generation facilities, and closed in 1983. Rapsodie was operated in conditions considered representative of a commercial plant in terms of temperatures (inlet 400 °C (752 °F), outlet 550 °C (1,022 °F)) and neutron flux (3.2e15n/cm/s), and served to prove many elements used in later, larger, breeder reactors. Rapsodie operated for 15 years, and suffered two leaks, a sodium micro leak in 1978 that was so small it was never found, and a nitrogen gas leak in 1982. Rapsodie is currently in Stage 2 decommissioning.

The WEST, or Tungsten (chemical symbol "W") Environment in Steady-state Tokamak, (formerly Tore Supra) is a French tokamak that originally began operating as Tore Supra after the discontinuation of TFR (Tokamak of Fontenay-aux-Roses) and of Petula (in Grenoble). The original name came from the words torus and superconductor, as Tore Supra was for a long time the only tokamak of this size with superconducting toroidal magnets, allowing the creation of a strong permanent toroidal magnetic field. After a major upgrade to install tungsten walls and a divertor, the tokamak was renamed WEST. WEST is situated at the nuclear research center of Cadarache, Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence, one of the sites of the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique. Tore Supra operated between 1988 and 2010. Its goal was to create long-duration plasmas. The upgrade to WEST took place between 2013 and 2016. WEST has been operating since 2016. Tore Supra holds the record of the longest plasma duration time for a tokamak (6 minutes 30 seconds and over 1000 MJ of energy injected and extracted in 2003), and it allowed researchers to test critical parts of equipment such as plasma facing wall components or superconducting magnets that will be used in its successor, ITER.

ITER (initially the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, iter meaning "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject aimed at creating energy through a fusion process similar to that of the Sun. It is being built next to the Cadarache facility in southern France. Upon completion of construction of the main reactor and first plasma, planned for 2033–2034, ITER will be the largest of more than 100 fusion reactors built since the 1950s, with six times the plasma volume of JT-60SA in Japan, the largest tokamak operating today. The long-term goal of fusion research is to generate electricity. ITER's stated purpose is scientific research, and technological demonstration of a large fusion reactor, without electricity generation. ITER's goals are to achieve enough fusion to produce 10 times as much thermal output power as thermal power absorbed by the plasma for short time periods; to demonstrate and test technologies that would be needed to operate a fusion power plant including cryogenics, heating, control and diagnostics systems, and remote maintenance; to achieve and learn from a burning plasma; to test tritium breeding; and to demonstrate the safety of a fusion plant. ITER's thermonuclear fusion reactor will use over 300 MW of electrical power to cause the plasma to absorb 50 MW of thermal power, creating 500 MW of heat from fusion for periods of 400 to 600 seconds. This would mean a ten-fold gain of plasma heating power (Q), as measured by heating input to thermal output, or Q ≥ 10. As of 2022, the record for energy production using nuclear fusion is held by the National Ignition Facility reactor, which achieved a Q of 1.5 in December 2022. Beyond just heating the plasma, the total electricity consumed by the reactor and facilities will range from 110 MW up to 620 MW peak for 30-second periods during plasma operation. As a research reactor, the heat energy generated will not be converted to electricity, but simply vented. ITER is funded and run by seven member parties: China, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. In the immediate aftermath of Brexit, the United Kingdom continued to participate in ITER through the EU's Fusion for Energy (F4E) program; however, in September 2023, the UK decided to discontinue its participation in ITER via F4E, and by March 2024 had rejected an invitation to join ITER directly, deciding instead to pursue its own independent fusion research program. Switzerland participated through Euratom and F4E, but the EU effectively suspended Switzerland's participation in response to the May 2021 collapse in talks on an EU-Swiss framework agreement; as of 2024, Switzerland is considered a non-participant pending resolution of its dispute with the EU. The project also has cooperation agreements with Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan and Thailand. Construction of the ITER complex in France started in 2013, and assembly of the tokamak began in 2020. The initial budget was close to €6 billion, but the total price of construction and operations is projected to be from €18 to €22 billion; other estimates place the total cost between $45 billion and $65 billion, though these figures are disputed by ITER. Regardless of the final cost, ITER has already been described as the most expensive science experiment of all time, the most complicated engineering project in human history, and one of the most ambitious human collaborations since the development of the International Space Station (€100 billion or $150 billion budget) and the Large Hadron Collider (€7.5 billion budget). ITER's planned successor, the EUROfusion-led DEMO, is expected to be one of the first fusion reactors to produce electricity in an experimental environment.

The Verdon (French pronunciation: [vɛʁdɔ̃], Occitan: [ˈbeɾðu]) is a 166.5-kilometre-long (103.5 mi) river in Southeastern France, left tributary of the Durance. Its drainage basin is 2,295 km2 (886 sq mi). The Verdon is best known for its impressive canyon: the Verdon Gorge. This limestone canyon, also called the "Grand Canyon of Verdon", 20 kilometres (12 mi) long and more than 300 metres (980 ft) deep, is a popular climbing and sight-seeing area. The name comes from the green appearance of the waters of the river, in the canyon.

Saint-Paul-lès-Durance (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ pɔl lɛ dyʁɑ̃s], literally Saint-Paul near Durance; also spelled Saint-Paul-lez-Durance; Provençal: Sant Pau de Durença) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in Provence, southern France. The Cadarache research center for nuclear energy is located in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance and next to it the international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject ITER the most expensive building ever built and the largest scientific research collaboration in history. The town was established in the 10th century and has around 1,000 inhabitants, a school, a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aix, a 15th-century château, and a little shopping center.

Vinon-sur-Verdon (French pronunciation: [vinɔ̃ syʁ vɛʁdɔ̃]; Occitan: Vinon de Verdon) is a commune in the northwestern part of the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. The town is on the left bank of the river Verdon near the Gorges du Verdon. The commune is on the departmental border with Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; as of 2019, it had a population of 4,248. Vinon-sur-Verdon's airfield (ICAO Airport Code LFNF) is a popular location for the sport of gliding and was the location for the 2006 World Gliding Championships.

Corbières-en-Provence (French pronunciation: [kɔʁbjɛʁ ɑ̃ pʁɔvɑ̃s], literally Corbières in Provence; Occitan: Corbièras), simply known as Corbières until 2018, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Its inhabitants are called Corbiérains (masculine) and Corbiéraines (feminine). Corbières-en-Provence is located at the heart of the Provence historical province, on the departmental border with Vaucluse and Var, not far north from Bouches-du-Rhône, where the Verdon flows into the Durance. The commune itself is situated on the Durance, the banks of which are served by the A51 autoroute, nicknamed the "Autoroute du Val de Durance".

Rians (French pronunciation: [ʁjɑ̃s]; Occitan: Rians) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Rians is a provençal village in the Upper Var located north east of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire. The main employment is agriculture, predominantly wine. The village itself is built on a hill that is dominated by a 12th-century bell tower and the church of Notre Dame de Nazareth. The Town is made up of concentric medieval streets that work their way down the hill. Notable events in Rians include dancing in the squares on 14 July, the Fête de St Laurent on 8 August and the Fête de la Courge in October.

Beaumont-de-Pertuis (French pronunciation: [bomɔ̃ də pɛʁtɥi], literally Beaumont of Pertuis; Occitan: Bèumont de Pertús) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Beaumont de Pertuis is a small village situated in the Parc Naturel du Luberon on the border of the Alpes de Haute Provence, the Var and the Bouches du Rhone. A busy road once ran through the middle of Beaumont de Pertuis which was at the time a prosperous medieval market town. In the 14th century, Beaumont could boast more than 1,000 inhabitants and belonged to one of the largest communes in France. The first reference to Beaumont (Baùmoun, which means "cave" in Provençal dialect) dates back to 1079, a reference to the cave of Eucherius of Lyon. Before becoming archbishop this hermit went on retreat in a cave overhanging la Durance in the town of Beaumont de Pertuis. Later on, this cave became a pilgrimage site and a chapel was carved inside the mountain.

Ginasservis (French pronunciation: [ʒinasɛʁvi]; Occitan: Ginacèrvias) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Sainte-Tulle (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃t tyl]; Occitan: Santa Túllia) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.