On June 24, the Slovenian Fusion Association (SFA) celebrated its 20th Anniversary. Since its establishment in 2005, SFA has played a vital role in coordinating fusion research in Slovenia and linking its national expertise to the broader European fusion community. Over the past two decades, they have evolved from a modest initiative into a dedicated and respected partner in the European fusion landscape. This anniversary marks a significant milestone—highlighting 20 years of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to advancing fusion science and technology.
EUROfusion Programme Manager Gianfranco Federici attended this event and commended the important role of SFA, recognising its important contributions to several areas of priorities of the European Fusion Programme. In particular, he was very pleased to visit important facilities such the laboratory on plasma wall interactions, the FEDORA thermal-hydraulic loop, that incorporate a transparent test section, top-side heating for studying boiling in divertor.
“I was particularly impressed by the dedication and competence of the Slovenian teams. Facilities like the plasma-wall interaction laboratory and the FEDORA loop demonstrate Slovenia’s commitment to scientific rigour and engineering innovation.” said Federici. “Happy Birthdays SFA and thank you for inviting me and in particular thanks to Dr. Boštjan Končar, Head of Slovenian Fusion Association.”
In addition, he visited the the TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor of the “Jožef Stefan” Institute (JSI). It was designed and built for research into water activation under fusion-relevant conditions. The TRIGA reactor at JSI can be operated in both steady-state and pulsed mode. This enables continuous measurements on the KATANA device over several hours and the possibility to simulate the operating regime of fusion reactors. KATANA will provide detailed insights and the possibility to validate calculation methods for the water activation process under fusion-relevant conditions and much more, which is directly relevant for the preparations for the operation of the large fusion research reactor ITER.
EUROfusion extends its warmest congratulations to the Slovenian Fusion Association on this important milestone and thanks Dr. Boštjan Končar and the entire SFA team for their contributions to Europe’s shared fusion journey.
