On February 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Emmanuel Macron of France visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, France. This marked the first visit by any Head of State or Government to this significant fusion energy project.
ITER is one of the most ambitious fusion energy projects globally, aiming to produce 500 MW of fusion power. The leaders were welcomed by the Director General of ITER and expressed their appreciation for the progress made, particularly the assembly of the world's largest Tokamak.
India is one of the seven members contributing to ITER, with around 200 Indian scientists and companies like L&T, Inox India, TCS, TCE, and HCL Technologies involved in the project.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted discussions between India and France on their strategic partnership in civil nuclear energy. Both countries signed a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) cooperation. They also renewed an MoU for collaboration with the Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP).
Misri noted the potential for co-designing, co-developing, and co-producing reactors, which could address challenges faced in conventional projects.
Prime Minister Modi refers to Narendra Modi, who is the current Prime Minister of India. He is a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has been serving as Prime Minister since 2014.
President Macron refers to Emmanuel Macron, who is the President of France. He has been serving as the President since 2017 and is known for his centrist political views.
ITER is a large international project aimed at creating energy through nuclear fusion, which is the process that powers the sun. It is located in France and involves many countries, including India, working together to develop this new form of energy.
Fusion energy is a type of energy that is created when two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. It is considered a potential source of clean and almost limitless energy.
Small and Advanced Modular Reactors are types of nuclear reactors that are smaller in size and can be built in factories and then assembled on-site. They are designed to be safer and more efficient than traditional nuclear reactors.
MoU stands for Memorandum of Understanding. It is a formal agreement between two or more parties, in this case, between India and France, to work together on certain projects or goals.
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