'DEMO' and the route to fusion power

Fusion power is now moving towards practical realisation: the science and technology have reached the stage where the remaining development requirements are clear and development scenarios are widely accepted. The standard development scenario assumes that the optimisation and qualification of materials for power plant components occurs, using IFMIF, in parallel to the exploitation of ITER, and that this is followed by a single stage of demonstration power plants (DEMOs) before deployment of the first generation of commercial plants. The nature and role of DEMOs are determined both by the residual development tasks not performed by ITER and IFMIF and by the desired economic characteristics of the first generation plants. Recently, the increased attention being paid to risks of global climate change and energy security have motivated consideration of reduced targets for the economic performance of a first generation of fusion power plants that could be deployed as early as possible, and so reduced targets for the technical performance of early DEMOs. (orig.)