Accelerators and Sustainable Development: the case of IFMIF-DONES
Rafael Esteban-López(1), Antonio Peña-García(2) 1. Administration and Management Department. IFMIF-DONES España Consortium, 18010 Granada, Spain 2. Department of Civil Engineering. University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain 2025-07-25

Abstract

Particle accelerators are behind multiple milestones of Mankind. From old TVs to the most advanced radiotherapy machines. From our daily life to the cutting-edge research on the very limits of both the macroscopic and the microscopic world. The interest of the scientific community has been focused on two main aspects: their improvement in technical terms and the minimization of potential hazards associated to these devices. However, little attention has been paid to their contribution to Sustainable Development from a global perspective. This work is focused on the “International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility​ - DEMO Oriented Neutron Source”, known as IFMIF-DONES, a unique experimental facility based on a deuterium accelerator whose final target is the production of fusion-like neutrons to test materials for the constructions of future vessels in fusion reactors. The multiple and sometimes non-trivial relationships with the Sustainable Development Goals as well as a detailed analysis to maximize the sustainability of this experiment will be presented and discussed.

Key words

Accelerator, IFMIF-DONES, Sustainable Development Goals, Fusion, Energy.

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