Auditors warn of Iter cost increase

The European Court of Auditors has predicted that the costs of Iter, the fusion reactor under construction in Cadarache, France, are likely to spiral after ongoing construction delays.

In a report on EU joint undertakings, the court said that Iter, which was audited in April, is running at least 30 months behind schedule. Furthermore, Iter still lacks a contractual system to minimise and punish cost overruns with contractors—something that was meant to be established after a review by the Council of Ministers in 2010.

The court said that the project’s 2010 construction budget estimate of €6.6 billion was “subject to significant risk of increase”, as the current schedule of the project was deemed unrealistic. Iter’s construction alone is expected to cost an extra €300 million, the court said in its report, issued on 24 November.