U.S. Delivers 60-Foot ‘Monster’ Magnet to France - to Power the Heart of the ITER Fusion Reacto

For a long time, humanity has looked to the stars not just with wonder, but with ambition. Among scientists' most audacious dreams is to recreate the sun’s fusion power here on Earth, unlocking an almost limitless, clean energy source. Intriguingly, in the French countryside, that dream is originating in the form of ITER, an unprecedented international collaboration to build the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor. Now, that dream has taken a huge leap forward. The United States has shipped a huge 60-foot-tall superconducting magnet to France, as per Sustainability Times.

Known as the central solenoid, this huge component will sit at the very heart of the ITER fusion reactor, controlling the ultra-hot plasma in which atoms will fuse just like they do in the core of our sun. Standing almost 18 meters tall and weighing hundreds of tons, this magnet is not just big, it is central to making fusion energy possible. David Vandergriff, a principal engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, remarked, “The solenoid could not perform its function without this sturdy support,” as per Sustainability Times. The main solenoid comprises six magnetic modules, each weighing around 266,800 pounds. These are especially designed to generate a powerful magnetic field strong enough to confine and control plasma at temperatures exceeding 150 million degrees Celsius.

To control the huge forces created during the fusion reaction, the solenoid needs an ultra-sturdy exoskeleton—essentially a magnetic cage. This support system had to be manufactured with extreme precision to remain structurally perfect under unimaginable pressure. Building this backbone was no small feat. Eight American companies collaborated on the task, with Superbolt in Pennsylvania playing a major role in developing the fastening technology needed to hold the huge magnet together. At the core of the design were 27 vertical tie plates, or connectors, that form the rigid spine of the solenoid cage. Each plate stretches about 49 feet long and has to meet unforgiving tolerance levels, as per Sustainability Times.

This delivery to France marks a major milestone for the ITER project, which SURPRISINGLY involves 35 countries, including the U.S., China, Russia, India, South Korea, and members of the European Union. When complete, ITER aims to generate 500 megawatts of power from just 50 megawatts of input, proving that fusion energy can be a crucial, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power, as per Impactful Ninja.

Another important point to note is that ITER's price tag has spiked from an initial estimate of $5.5 billion to around $24 billion, but the international commitment has not wavered. The project, located in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France, is now entering its most important phase, with four out of six magnetic modules already installed. The final two are expected to be in place by the end of the year. By 2040, ITER expects to showcase that fusion is not just a theory, but a working, world-changing reality, as per Impactful Ninja.