ium ▁blank et ▁using ▁neut rons ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁fusion ▁reaction ▁itself . ▁Furthermore , ▁a ▁fusion ▁re actor ▁would ▁produce ▁virt ually ▁no ▁CO 2 ▁or ▁atmos pher ic ▁poll ut ants , ▁and ▁its ▁radio active ▁waste ▁products ▁would ▁mostly ▁be ▁very ▁short - l ived ▁compared ▁to ▁those ▁produced ▁by ▁conventional ▁nuclear ▁react ors ▁( f ission ▁react ors ). ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 1 ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁seven ▁participants ▁formally ▁agreed ▁to ▁fund ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁nuclear ▁fusion ▁re actor . ▁The ▁program ▁is ▁anticip ated ▁to ▁last ▁for ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁– ▁ 1 0 ▁for ▁construction , ▁and ▁ 2 0 ▁of ▁operation . ▁I TER ▁was ▁originally ▁expected ▁to ▁cost ▁approximately ▁€ 5 ▁billion , ▁but ▁the ▁rising ▁price ▁of ▁raw ▁materials ▁and ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁initial ▁design ▁have ▁seen ▁that ▁amount ▁almost ▁triple ▁to ▁€ 1 3 ▁billion . ▁The ▁re actor ▁is ▁expected ▁to ▁take ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁to ▁build ▁with ▁completion ▁originally ▁scheduled ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁but ▁construction ▁has ▁continued ▁into ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁Site ▁prepar ation ▁has ▁begun ▁in ▁Cad ar ache , ▁France , ▁and ▁proc ure ment ▁of ▁large ▁components ▁has ▁started . ▁ ▁When ▁supplied ▁with ▁ 3 0 0 ▁M W ▁of ▁elect rical ▁power , ▁I TER ▁is ▁expected ▁to ▁produce ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁ 5 0 0 ▁M W ▁of ▁thermal ▁power ▁sust ained ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 , 0