Fusion Materials Implementing Agreement: Difference between revisions

The '''Fusion Materials Implementing Agreement''', established in 1980 by the International Energy Agency (IEA), fosters global cooperation to study and mitigate radiation damage in fusion reactor materials, involving key participants like the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), Japan, and the United States. Coordinated under the IEA’s Fusion Power Coordinating Committee (FPCC), it focuses on materials testing under neutron irradiation, contributing to projects like the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) and supporting fusion devices such as ITER through shared research and data.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.iea.org/areas-of-work/technology-collaboration/fusion-power |title=Fusion Power |publisher=International Energy Agency}}</ref> With over four decades of activity, it has shaped fusion material science, remaining active in 2025 to address challenges like tritium breeding blankets, critical for next-generation reactors.

Launched in 1980 following EURATOM’s proposal, the agreement addressed the need for fusion materials resilient to neutron damage, formalized by the IEA Governing Board on May 12, 1980.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aei.pitt.edu/13259/ |title=Implementing Agreement for Radiation Damage |publisher=University of Pittsburgh}}</ref> It supported early material tests for tokamaks and evolved with IFMIF’s planning in the 1990s, hosting workshops like the 1998 Risø event to strategize R&D. By 2025, it continues to inform ITER and DEMO material needs, adapting to fusion’s maturing landscape.