ITER

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.

Cadarache is the largest technological research and development centre for energy in Europe. It includes the CEA research activities and ITER. CEA Cadarache is one of the 10 research centres of the French Commission of Atomic and Alternative Energies. Established in the French département Bouches-du-Rhône, close to the village Saint-Paul-lès-Durance. CEA Cadarache, created in 1959, is located about 40 kilometres from Aix-en-Provence, approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) north-east of the city of Marseille and stands near the borders of three other départements: the Alpes de Haute-Provence, the Var and the Vaucluse. It is one of the major sources of employment in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (PACA) and has one of the heaviest concentrations of specialised scientific staff. Cadarache began its research activities when President Charles de Gaulle launched France's atomic energy program in 1959. The centre is operated by the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA, en: Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy Commission). In 2005, Cadarache was selected to be the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor. Construction of the ITER complex began in 2007, and it is projected to begin plasma-generating operations in the 2020s. Cadarache also plays host to a number of research reactors, such as the Jules Horowitz Reactor, which is expected to enter operation around 2030.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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

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

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.

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.