Power plant conceptual studies in Europe

The European Power Plant Conceptual Study (PPCS) has been a study of the conceptual designs of five commercial fusion power plants, with the main emphasis on system integration. The study focused on five power plant models, named PPCS A, B, AB, C and D, which are illustrative of a wider spectrum of possibilities. The models are all based on the tokamak concept and they have approximately the same net electrical power output, 1500 MWe. The PPCS allows the clarification of the concept of DEMO, the device that will bridge the gap between ITER and the first-of-a-kind fusion power plant. An assessment of the PPCS models with limited extrapolations highlighted the physics issues that must be addressed to establish the DEMO physics basis. Similarly, a review of the DEMO technical objectives brings to the fore the issues that must be addressed to establish the engineering and technological basis for DEMO. (author)