lear ▁Ex perimental ▁Re actor ) ▁is ▁an ▁international ▁nuclear ▁fusion ▁research ▁and ▁engineering ▁meg ap ro ject , ▁which ▁will ▁be ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁magnetic ▁conf in ement ▁pl asma ▁physics ▁experiment . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁experimental ▁to k am ak ▁nuclear ▁fusion ▁re actor ▁that ▁is ▁being ▁built ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁Cad ar ache ▁facility ▁in ▁Saint - Paul - lès - D urance , ▁in ▁Prov ence , ▁southern ▁France . ▁ ▁The ▁I TER ▁therm on uc lear ▁fusion ▁re actor ▁has ▁been ▁designed ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁fusion ▁pl asma ▁equivalent ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 ▁meg aw att s ▁( MW ) ▁of ▁thermal ▁output ▁power ▁for ▁around ▁twenty ▁minutes ▁while ▁ 5 0 ▁meg aw att s ▁of ▁thermal ▁power ▁are ▁inject ed ▁into ▁the ▁to k am ak , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁ten - fold ▁gain ▁of ▁pl asma ▁he ating ▁power . ▁ ▁There by ▁the ▁machine ▁a ims ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁producing ▁more ▁thermal ▁power ▁from ▁the ▁fusion ▁process ▁than ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁heat ▁the ▁pl asma , ▁something ▁that ▁has ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁achieved ▁in ▁any ▁fusion ▁re actor . ▁ ▁The ▁total ▁electric ity ▁consum ed ▁by ▁the ▁re actor ▁and ▁facilities ▁will ▁range ▁from ▁ 1 1 0 ▁M W ▁up ▁to ▁ 6 2 0 ▁M W ▁peak ▁for ▁ 3 0 - second ▁periods ▁during ▁pl asma ▁operation . ▁Th erm al - to - elect ric ▁conversion ▁is ▁not ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁design ▁because