A new neighbourhood in Manosque for ITER employees

27/06/2008

A brand new neighbourhood is being built around the Iscles School in Manosque, which is currently hosting the international classes for the children of ITER project employees. ITER staff of various nationalities (e.g. Chinese, Russian, Japanese) have already moved in. Manosque is reaping the benefits of this influx of ITER employees due to its infrastructure (school, hospital etc.) and its proximity to the Cadarache site. According to Colin Miège, Director of the regional ITER support board, the housing market in Manosque and around the Cadarache site has so far been spared any price hikes resulting from property speculation.
www.20minutes.fr

2nd meeting of the ITER Council

24/06/2008

The ITER Council met for the 2nd both 17 and June 18 in Japan. The seven partners in the programme have undertaken a thorough review of the project. They included an update on development work at the site of Cadarache. They also ratified a new specification which sets targets scientific and technological parameters of the ITER programme. "
www.iter.org

ITER Director confident that the USA will stay in the project

24/06/08

On 23rd June, Kaname Ikeda, ITER Director General, visiting the initial construction work currently underway at Cadarache on the future site of the reactor, stated that he was "confident that the USA will stay in" the ITER project. The USA has suspended its 2008 financial contribution but has nevertheless continued to support the American members of the international ITER Organization and to take part in meetings. "It is absolutely vital to ensure that the USA and its scientific community maintain their participation," Kaname Ikeda added. "La Marseillaise", p.8 – 24 Jun 08
La Marseillaise, p.8 – 24/06/08

Kazakhstan to become an ITER project partner ?

19/06/2008

During his visit last February, the French Prime Minister François Fillon was keen to encourage Kazakhstan to join the seven ITER project partners. The ITER Council, which met a few days ago in Japan, “approved the accession conditions for an eighth partner member during the initial ITER construction phase, and has initiated initial formal exchanges with Kazakhstan.”
www.romandie.com

Work on schedule for ITER road corridor

12/06/2008

Colin Miège, Director of the regional ITER support board stated that France would ensure its commitments are met, during a visit to the Cadarache site on 11 June. Work to create the road corridor for transporting reactor components from the port at Fos to the Cadarache site will be completed within the required timeframe, so that the first convoys can start to roll in late 2009. 150 people, mainly employed by contractors based in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, have been working on the roadwork sites since the start of the year. Colin Miège also emphasised the fact that environmental concerns were being taken into account in the road upgrade projects.
www.romandie.com

SAMT to recruit steel reinforcement workers for the ITER construction site

11/06/2008

SAMT is a company based in Saint-Chamas, Bouches-du-Rhône, which specialises in steel reinforcement for concrete structures. It is one of the contractors that will be working on the ITER construction site, and needs to recruit steel reinforcement workers for this project. Applicants without prior experience or skills can take a “reinforcement in civil engineering projects” training course with l’Afpa.the AFPA training organisation. Two ten-week sessions will be run at the Istres centre, starting on 18th August and on 8th September.
www.laprovence.com

AFPA offering specific ITER training courses

09/06/2008

AFPA, the public training and professional development service, is organising training courses in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, to help meet the future skilled labour needs in companies that have won ITER procurement contracts. A specific three-phase scheme has been developed, which will lead to a special qualification after all three phases have been completed. Over the next two years, approximately 2,000 jobs will be created on ITER-related projects, such as the construction work on the ITER site, creation of the ITER road corridor and the building of the International School. Sectors set to benefit particularly highly include the construction, civil engineering and road-building industries.
http://www.afpa.fr

Work on ITER road corridor going forward since January launch

04/06/2008

The ITER road corridor has been designed for transporting large parts required for the ITER reactor from Fos to Cadarache ready for construction as from July 2009. The project involves upgrading of some existing roadway. All in all, 90 different roadwork sites will be launched, from road-widening to bridge reinforcements and bypasses. Work started on the first site in January, to divert and reinstate an irrigation system between Meyrargues and Peyrolles. Other work has since got underway. The total project cost will be approximately € 90M.
“La Provence” - 3 Jun 2008