Granada, Mar 16 (EFE).- The meeting of the executive committee of the DONES program, in which delegates from 15 European countries and Japan participated this Thursday, has meant a “firm step” in the particle accelerator (IFMIF-DONES) , a unique facility in the world that will mean the largest investment in a scientific infrastructure in Spain to seek clean energy on land in Escúzar (Granada).
The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, has led this meeting held in Granada and has pointed out that the accelerator will involve an investment of more than 700 million euros in its construction and another 50 for its start-up, for which the Government It already has 93 million FEDER European funds reserved (2021-2027), to which this same contribution will also be added, also guaranteed by the Junta de Andalucía.
Morant has announced that the Consortium that manages the infrastructure will present in the coming weeks a strategic human resources plan for the direct hiring of at least 200 highly qualified scientists and engineers, a job that is added to the one that will be involved in building the accelerator, the start of which will be is planned for 2025.
“We have participated in the construction meeting of the highest governing body of IFMIF-DONES to certify that this infrastructure, which is going to come to Granada, is already taking its firm steps”, assured the Minister of Science, who stressed that Spain Thus, it is at the forefront of knowledge and research on fusion energy.
As a “unique facility in the world”, the accelerator will contribute to “give birth” to a new energy model “clean, unlimited, cheaper, the fusion energy that is produced in the center of the Sun and the stars” Morant explained.
investment and employment
According to the minister, in addition to the previous investments, the operating cost of the Granada accelerator will be another 50 million euros per year during the useful life of the facility, in which Spain has agreed to finance 50% of the price of the construction and 10% of the cost of operation, while Croatia will finance 5% of the project.
“Croatia and Spain competed for a time to host the headquarters and we have gone from being competitors to being close collaborators. I think this is one of the teachings of science ”, indicated Morant, who referred to the accession this Thursday of thirteen other countries of the European Union and Japan, although they have not yet committed his contribution.
In terms of employment, the direct and indirect impact of the accelerator, with a view to the next 40 years of construction and operation of the infrastructure, contemplates an average creation of 1,000 jobs per year.
In addition to the work on the first auxiliary buildings, which began at the end of last year and the 93 million euros committed by the Government, will be added the Innovative Public Procurement associated with prototypes of relevant IFMIF-DONES components that the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) manages a value of about 30 million euros and whose public tenders are expected for this summer.
Autonomous contribution
For his part, the Andalusian Minister of University, Research and Innovation, José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, stressed that the Board will also allocate 93 million to the construction and start-up of IFMIF-DONES, and that it will contribute one euro for each euro that the Ministry of Science.
The head of Innovation has also assured that the Andalusian Government will speed up the procedures associated with the project, will improve connections to the metropolitan park of the municipality of Escúzar that will host it and has commissioned the design of a strategic plan to enhance its impact.
“It will mean unprecedented scientific progress and will allow Granada and Andalusia to be positioned as benchmarks in the production of clean energy,” highlighted Gómez Villamandos, who praised the conditioning works for a strategic section for traffic in this area, an action to the that the Ministry of Public Works has allocated three million euros.
During the course of the so-called “DONES Steering Committee”, in which, in addition to 16 countries, the international organizations EURATOM, EUROfusion and Fusion for Energy have participated, Stasa Skenzic, a member of the IFMIF-DONES, has been appointed president of the highest governing body Croatian delegation.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Spain, Croatia, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Japan. EFE