ITER Preps 34 kA Trial of Toroidal Field Coil #17 After Resolving Feeder-Joint Oxidation

ITER reported on September 7, 2026 that it is preparing full-current trials of its superconducting magnets at the newly operational Magnet Cold Test Facility. Toroidal field coil #7 was cooled to 4K and energized to 10 kA when the facility launched in May 2026. Coil #17 was then installed and cooled to 4K in roughly 10 days, but initial electrical tests found higher-than-expected resistance in a feeder joint, traced to oxidation on a contact surface. With the issue resolved, coil #17 will be re-cooled to 4K ahead of a test campaign targeting 34 kA — more than three times the initial current. A further round of structural reinforcement is planned before 68 kA testing begins with coil #19, the world's largest superconducting magnet test bench's next milestone.