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PRESS RELEASE
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At 7.44pm Saturday 9th November 1991, between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 watts of
power from nuclear fusion reactions were generated at the JET (Joint 
European Torus) collaborative European Community project based at Abingdon, 
Oxfordshire, UK.

The director of JET, Dr Paul-Henri Rebut, announcing the successful 
experiment said "this is the first time that a significant amount of power
has been obtained from controlled nuclear fusion reactions. It is clearly
a major step forward in the development of fusion as a new source of energy."

Saturday's experiment was the first occasion in which the correct fusion fuels,
deuterium and tritium, have been used in any magnetic confinement fusion 
experiment.  Previously the experimental performance had been such as to 
justify only the use of deuterium fuel in which the fusion reaction rate is 
much slower. Since the start of operation in 1983 JET's performance has 
progressively approached reactor conditions. The planned operation with the 
correct mix of the reactor fuels - a 50/50 mixture of deuterium and tritium - 
is being approached in a stepwise manner, with the first step being the 
present experiments at low tritium concentrations and concluding in 1996 at 
full power operation with 50% tritium.

In Saturday's experiment the deuterium and tritium gas was heated to
temperatures of around 200 million degrees Celcius - nearly more than 10 times
hotter than the temperature in the centre of the sun. The peak fusion power
generated reached almost 2,000,000 watts (2MW) in a pulse lasting for two
seconds and giving a total energy release equivalent to a megawatt for two
seconds. At lower power in deuterium JET has already maintained stable 
conditions in the apparatus for periods of up to 1 minute.

JET is a collaborative venture involving all countries of the European
Community, together with Switzerland and Sweden. As the world's largest fusion
device, JET has achieved separately all individual parameters required in a
reactor. The data obtained from JET has laid a firm foundation for the proposed
experimental reactor ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor),
which is planned to be carried out as a world-wide collaboration involving the
United States, Japan, the Soviet Union and the European Community.

"The hard work and dedication of all the JET staff over many years, together 
with the support of all the European Nations who are members of the Joint
Undertaking have today been rewarded by this achievement" said Dr Rebut. "These
experiments are a significant milestone and clearly confirm Europe's leading
position in fusion research. This demonstration fully confirms that with the
additional information from the planned JET programme up to 1996 we will be
able to design the experimental fusion reactor ITER capable of generating more
than 1000 megawatts of thermal power."

For further information contact John Maple, tel +44 235 464776
-- 
- Colin Manning, cm@jet.uk