EU DEMO design and R&D studies

With the construction of ITER underway, attention is now turning to the design of a demonstration fusion reactor, known as DEMO, capable of generating several hundred MW of net electricity and operating with a closed fuel-cycle. DEMO is a device which lies between ITER and a full power plant but there is not widespread agreement of where in the range it must lie, motivated in part by the range of options that remain for a power plant design, and the timescales on which DEMO should be delivered. This paper describes the approach that is being adopted in Europe for DEMO and presents some of the design options that are under evaluation as well as the most urgent R&D work needed. Finally, it provides an outlook on the future activities that are expected to be launched as part of the new EU fusion roadmap.