ISQ wins international project worth 2.7m under one of humanity's largest current projects (F4E | ITER)

ISQ has just won a contract for F4E (Fusion for Energy), a European Union body whose mission is to cooperate with industry and research entities in the development and manufacture of cutting-edge components for the ITER fusion energy project, the largest scientific investment today. The contract of 2,700,000.00€ lasts for four years, will start as early as December and ISQ will secure several of the special tests. "This is proof that portuguese industry is nowadays a reference at the international level and can compete on an equal footing large projects where the best in the world compete," says José Figueira, ISQ Administrator. The ITER project is an experiment aimed at reaching the next phase in the evolution of nuclear energy as a means of generating emission-free electricity. "Under laboratory conditions, the nuclear fusion reactions that occur inside the stars (e.g. sun) are reproduced in a process called stellar nucleosynthesis, and may become one of the technologies of the future for the generation of renewable , clean and cheaper electricity," adds José Figueira. "Under the contract with F4E, ISQ will conduct destructive and non-destructive testing of materials and mock-ups that will be used in the ITER experimental nuclear reactor," concludes Administrator José Figueira. These tests will be done at the ISQ Special Testing Laboratory (located in Castelo Branco), the Materials Laboratory – LABMAT and the Non-Destructive Testing Laboratory – LABEND (the latter two located in Oeiras, on the ISQ campus, in Tagus Park). In the background, ISQ will run a set of tests for validation of materials, processes and systems, at room temperature and high temperature, in vacuum or controlled atmosphere, which will involve test engineering in the manufacture of mock-ups and test benches to support engineering activities for ITER and other nuclear fusion projects under the responsibility of F4E. In addition to this contract, it should be noted that ISQ has other projects of great relevance in the areas of the QA| QC (Quality Assurance| Quality Control) and Training with ITER | F4E. This is the case of the inspection of the components that are being built for the nuclear reactor to be installed in Cadarache (France), with a team of 20 inspectors spread across several European countries and China, who ensure that the manufactured components comply with the quality requirements. ISQ is internationally recognized as a partner with experience and high expertise in quality control, ensuring that its clients' assets have a high operating availability, which contributes to the reduction of operating and maintenance costs.