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The heavy engineering arm of Larsen & Toubro, a leading Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Services, has completed the Top Lid, the most complex and final assembly of Cryostat for Global Fusion Project at ITER, France.

The 30-meter diameter Cryostat is the largest stainless-steel high-vacuum pressure chamber in the world, intended to keep very high temperatures in the ITER fusion reactor core under control by providing cooling. The completion of this final assembly is an important milestone in the nuclear fusion arena as well as a moment of pride for India.

With this milestone, L&T Heavy Engineering has completed the entire manufacturing work planned at the site workshop assisted by its sub-contractors, ahead of schedule. The last stage to assemble the Top Lid inside the Tokamak Reactor Building will be performed in 2025.

The special celebration for the completion of ITER Cryostat Top Lid took place in the presence of Dr. Eisuke Tada- Acting Director General, ITER organisation and virtual presence of Shri Ravi Bhushan Grover- Member, India Atomic Energy Commission, India, Mr. U.K. Baruah, Project Director, ITER‐India and Mr. A.V. Parab, Member-Executive Committee, L&T and Senior Vice President & Head, L&T Heavy Engineering.

Commenting on this occasion, Dr. Bernard Bigot, Director-General, ITER organization said, “It has been a ‘Successful M (check) arch’ since the ITER Organization and ITER India signed the Cryostat Procurement Arrangement in 2012 and since the first components for the 3,800-tonne heavy-assembly took shape at the Larsen & Toubro factory in Hazira, India. The march was certainly not without pushbacks and challenges. But here we are today. The Cryostat is successfully completed, the base and the lower cylinder have already made their final voyage into the reactor vault, the upper cylinder and the top lid are waiting for their turn. This is an impressive achievement – both in terms of technical feasibility, complexity and intercultural collaboration.”

Commenting on this achievement, S N Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T said, “This is yet another proud moment for L&T in delivering the critical components for Cryostat assembly. The company has used innovative and hi-tech manufacturing techniques to ensure the supply of high-quality, high-precision assemblies, with excellent collaboration with ITER India and ITER organisation in delivering this strategic project. This ‘Make in India, for the World’- project have showcased proven Indian capabilities in the global high technology arena.”

Anil V. Parab, Member- Executive Committee, L&T and Senior Vice President & Head, L&T Heavy Engineering said, “Today is indeed a special day for ITER project - an important part of the most ambitious clean and green energy project. With the completion of the Top Lid assembly, we have successfully fulfilled our project scope at the Cadarache site ahead of schedule. Once again L&T Heavy Engineering has demonstrated state of the art fabrication skills and impeccable capabilities in the global nuclear industry.”

The project scope for L&T Heavy Engineering was divided into three aspects. Firstly, to manufacture sub-assemblies at its state-of-the-art Hazira Manufacturing Complex. The second aspect involved constructing a temporary workshop at the project site in Cadarache, France for the assembly of various sectors. And finally, to integrate the Cryostat components at workshop on site and inside the Tokamak Reactor building.

L&T’s Heavy Engineering business won this prestigious contract from ITER India, a wing of the Department of Atomic Energy, for the ambitious mega scientific project, with a total project outlay of around $20 billion, conducted in collaboration with seven elite countries including India.

L&T’s ‘A. M. Naik Heavy Engineering Complex’ at Hazira is a globally benchmarked, state-of-the-art, fully integrated, digitally enabled manufacturing facility. It continues to contribute to the “Make in India” mission. All L&T Heavy Engineering facilities are well equipped with Industry 4.0 solutions for engineered-to-order manufacturing. The Heavy Engineering business of L&T has a proven track record of supplying technology-intensive equipment and systems to global customers in the Refinery, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Fertilizers and Nuclear Power sectors.