OCEM’s GM spoke on a panel at ITER Industry Day in Brussels

OCEM Power Electronics’ general manager spoke on a European Commission panel in Brussels last week at an event showcasing the economic and societal benefits of the ITER fusion energy project.

The high-level event, called ITER Industry Day, brought about 100 policy makers, company executives and energy experts together to discuss how ITER, in addition to its scientific and technological objectives, is driving jobs, economic growth and innovation.

OCEM General Manager Giuseppe Taddia spoke on a panel about job creation and research synergy that was moderated by the director of Fusion for Energy, Johannes Schwemmer. It also featured the French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Frédérique Vidal, and members of the European Parliament.

The European Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, Miguel Arias Cañete, delivered keynote remarks.

From left: Bernard Bigot, Director-General, ITER Organization; Johannes Schwemmer, Director, Fusion for Energy; Antti Ilmari Peltomäki, Deputy Director-General GROW, European Commission; Jerome Pamela, Chair, Eurofusion; Giuseppe Taddia, General Manager, OCEM Power Electronics

OCEM is a key player in making the ITER project, or International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, a success. The facility is currently under construction in Cadarache, France, and will be used to demonstrate fusion’s potential as a clean, abundant and commercially exploitable energy source.

The Italian company is providing the Ion Source and Extraction Power Supplies (ISEPS) system and the Ground Related Power Supplies (GRPSs), which will power the  ITER’s neutral beam injectors.

The facility is a collaboration between the E.U., U.S., China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea. It will provide a stepping stone for fusion power plants by demonstrating the technical feasibility of fusion energy, and is leading to high-tech “spin-off” products for European companies.

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