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Southern France - Transition Frontier
In the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France, 34 countries are collaborating to build the largest tokamak ever designed—a machine intended to demonstrate that fusion (the energy of the Sun and stars) can serve as a large-scale, CO2-free source of electricity. The results of the ITER scientific program will be crucial in paving the way for the fusion power plants of the future. ITER's primary objective is to generate "burning plasmas" and to understand their behavior.
What is a tokamak? A tokamak is an experimental machine designed to harness fusion energy. Inside the tokamak, the energy generated by the fusion of atomic nuclei is absorbed as heat by the walls of the vacuum vessel. Much like conventional power plants, a fusion power plant uses this heat to produce steam and subsequently generate electricity via turbines and alternators.
rising SUD
The South of France continues to attract global talent and investment:
Despite the global instability and a downturn in international investment in Europe, the Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region remained a highly attractive location for business with over 170 incoming projects from more than 30 countries that will generate thousands of jobs over the next three years..
Our Governance
Founded by the Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the French government, the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Banque des Territoires, and Bpifrance, risingSUD now has 79 members in its governing alliance divided into five constituencies.
risingSUD is the economic development agency
in charge of attracting projects, investment, and talent
to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in the South of France.
1. Economic impact and employment
Job creation: Construction and operations involve thousands of workers (engineers, researchers, technicians, and construction workers). The presence of ITER generates approximately 10,000 to 15,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region. Contracts for local businesses: Hundreds of regional SMEs and large companies are involved in the project (construction, engineering, oversized load transport, and maintenance).
🏫 Attractiveness and infrastructure
Attracting global talent: Thousands of experts from over 35 countries have settled in the area with their families, enriching the local social fabric.Public facilities: Creation of dedicated facilities, such as the International School of Manosque, as well as the development of roads and specific routes to transport oversized components from the coast (Fos-sur-Mer) to the site.
🔬 A scientific innovation hub
ITER strengthens the Sud Region's position as a major global hub for energy and innovation, creating strong synergies with CEA Cadarache, Aix-Marseille University, and local competitiveness clusters (such as Capenergies).
2. Importance for the climate transition
From an environmental perspective, ITER is not a power plant for immediate electricity generation, but an experiment aimed at proving the industrial feasibility of nuclear fusion. Fission Energy (Standard) vs. Fusion Energy (ITER)
🌍 Clean and virtually inexhaustible energy
Zero $CO_2$ emissions: The fusion reaction (combining deuterium and tritium) releases no greenhouse gases or atmospheric pollutants during operation.Unmatched energy density: A tiny amount of fuel can provide a massive amount of energy (1 gram of fusion fuel is equivalent to approximately 8 tonnes of oil).
🌍 Clean and virtually inexhaustible energyZero $CO_2$ emissions: The fusion reaction (combining deuterium and tritium) releases no greenhouse gases or atmospheric pollutants during operation.Unmatched energy density: A tiny amount of fuel can provide a massive amount of energy (1 gram of fusion fuel is equivalent to approximately 8 tonnes of oil).Inherent safety: Unlike conventional nuclear power plants (fission), fusion cannot undergo thermal runaway or core meltdown. If the reaction is disrupted, the plasma cools down and stops within a fraction of a second.
🔋 Complementarity with decarbonization
If ITER successfully demonstrates the technology, future fusion power plants (the DEMO series) will provide a source of carbon-free, dispatchable electricity capable of supplying the baseload power needed to offset the intermittency of renewable energy sources (solar, wind)....