HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Reaches Major Milestone in ITER Nuclear Fusion Project

• 'KOREA-ITER Fusion Day' held in France on the 22^nd to celebrate completion of sector module assembly
• HD Hyundai Heavy Industries proves mega-scale, high-precision manufacturing capabilities by producing 4 out of 9 vacuum vessel sectors
• "As we take part in this major milestone for the world's largest fusion project, we will continue to strengthen our technological competitiveness in future energy"

SEOUL, South Korea, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on Wednesday, July 22 (local time), that it attended the 'KOREA-ITER Fusion Day' at the ITER construction site in Cadarache, southern France.

This marks a major step toward the realization of future fusion energy as assembly of the final vacuum vessel sector module for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)— an international nuclear fusion research project, in which HD Hyundai Heavy Industries participated—has been successfully completed.

Around 150 participants—including representatives from South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT, domestic companies, research institutes, and the ITER Organization—attended the event to share the progress of ITER construction, highlight Korea's major procurement achievements, and discuss strategies for international cooperation in the field of nuclear fusion.

The event was organized to celebrate the assembly of the final ITER vacuum vessel sector—manufactured by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries—into a complete sector module combined with thermal shields and superconducting magnets. This sector module has now been moved to the Tokamak pit, where it will join eight other sector modules to form a donut-shaped vacuum vessel weighing approximately 5,000 tons.

ITER is a major international initiative to construct the world's largest fusion experiment reactor in Cadarache, France, jointly pursued by seven participating members: South Korea, the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan, China, Russia, and India.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries manufactured four out of the total nine vacuum vessel sectors that comprise ITER. After winning the contract for two sectors allocated to South Korea in 2010, the company secured an additional order in 2016 for two sectors originally assigned to the EU, successfully delivering all four sectors by 2024.

The vacuum vessel is a core component of ITER that encapsulates plasma exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius while maintaining an ultra-high vacuum environment. Although each vacuum vessel sector is an ultra-large structure measuring 11.3 meters in height, 6.6 meters in width, and weighing approximately 400 tons, it demands an extraordinarily high level of manufacturing precision to ensure seamless assembly with the other sectors. Furthermore, the manufacturing process must satisfy stringent quality and safety standards, including French regulations on nuclear pressure equipment, international nuclear engineering standards, and the rigorous requirements of the ITER Organization.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries successfully produced the vacuum vessel sectors by leveraging its accumulated expertise in shipbuilding and offshore plant construction, along with its capabilities in mega-structure manufacturing and quality management. In recognition of its contributions, the company was awarded a plaque of appreciation during the event.

Speaking at the event as a representative of participating companies, Won Kwang-shik, Senior Executive Vice President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stated, "The successful fabrication and installation of the ITER vacuum vessel sectors represent a major milestone that demonstrates both the technological competitiveness of Korean industry and the fruitful results of international cooperation. Building on our accumulated technological experience, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will continue to contribute to realizing sustainable energy for future generations."

Meanwhile, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has also played an active role in establishing South Korea's domestic fusion research infrastructure. The company participated in the main structure design of the KSTAR (Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) project, completed in 2007, and manufactured its core components, including the large ultra-high vacuum vessel and cryostat.

• Thermal Shield & Superconducting Magnet:
  -The thermal shield prevents heat from the vacuum vessel from transferring to the superconducting magnets operating at cryogenic temperatures.
  -The superconducting magnet creates a powerful magnetic field to confine the ultra-high temperature plasma.
• Tokamak: A donut-shaped structure that uses a magnetic field to confine plasma required for nuclear fusion reactions.
• Tokamak Pit: The central space inside the Tokamak building where major fusion components—including the vacuum vessel and superconducting magnets—are ultimately assembled and installed.

SOURCE HD Hyundai