According to Moisés Weber, interim director of the IFMIF-DONES Spain Consortium, the main construction phase of the IFMIF-DONES particle accelerator, located in the Granadan municipality of Escúzar, is scheduled to begin this summer. This project is fundamental for fusion energy research, aiming to develop a model for clean and unlimited energy.
“"Our current objective is for the works to start this summer, understanding summer in its true sense, we are not talking about July, but yes, the idea is that the works on the main building, as there are already works that have been built, but what would be the final phase, the main building, we expect the machines to start moving earth this summer."
In January, a consortium formed by Ferrovial, FCC Construcción, and the Granadan construction company Añil was awarded a 174-million-euro contract for the design and construction of IFMIF-DONES. This accelerator seeks to replicate the energy produced at the core of the Sun and stars.
The confirmation of the construction start took place within the framework of the I+DONES forum, an event that brought together public entities and organizations to present projects with a potential value exceeding 2 billion euros. These initiatives, which will be tendered in the coming years, are aimed at companies in the science sector in Spain.
The fourth edition of the I+DONES forum, organized by the Industry Office and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the CDTI, served as a platform for institutions such as IFMIF-DONES itself, CIEMAT, CDTI, and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) to present their projects to the two hundred participating companies.
“"The presentation in Granada of such a high amount of contracts highlights two things: firstly, as we have been saying, it is an industry that mobilizes a very significant volume of business, and secondly, that Granada is already a reference point for discussing this industry."
Cuerva also emphasized the forum's consolidation as a key space for the economic development of Granada and Andalucía, transforming the accelerator into an engine of change. The presence of Granadan companies and the establishment of external companies in the province are considered the first successes of the Industry Office.
In this regard, work is underway on a large scientific-technical-business installation project to offer companies and continue promoting an industrial sector linked to science. Juan Antonio Tébar, Director of Innovation Policies at CDTI, reaffirmed his center's support for the installation of IFMIF-DONES in Granada, highlighting the importance of nuclear fusion in Europe and Spain.
The mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, underscored the project's significance for the local and Andalusian economy, integrating it into the city's strategic planning and its aspiration to become the European Capital of Culture. The I+DONES forum, which included visits to the facilities and workshops on instrumentation and nanoelectronics, is consolidating as an essential meeting point for the scientific industry.
