Demo blanket technology R&D results in EU

The European breeding blanket R&D for DEMO is focussed on the development of two concepts: the Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) and the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB). Test Blanket Modules (TBMs) based on these two concepts will be tested in ITER during the first 10 years of operation. The EU R&D programme is mainly focussed on the development and characterisation of materials: structural (EUROFER), breeding (Pb–17Li, Li4SiO4, Li2TiO3) and neutron multiplier (beryllium), and manufacturing technologies (powder and solid HIP, joining, tritium permeation barrier). In the paper a short description of the two EU breeding blanket concepts, the main R&D results, the key issues still to be clarified and the TBM test programme in ITER are reported.