One of the main scientific objectives of ITER is to test and validate Breeding Blankets concepts for tritium generation relevant to a power producing reactor. The ITER TBM (Test Blanket Module) Programme consists in the design, installation and operation of four Test Blanket Systems (TBS) from different ITER Members. Europe is the responsible for the Water Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL)-TBS and will be partner with Korea for the development of the Helium Cooled Ceramic Pebble (HCCP)-TBS (based on the former Helium Cooled Pebble Bed Pebble –HCPB-).
Esteyco is currently in charge of the HCPB & WCLL TBM-Sets designs for Fusion for Energy through a 4-years long Framework Contract. The works being implemented focus on the design optimization accounting for manufacturing and nuclear regulatory constraints, and the detailed assessment of thermal and structural performance under the pulsed ITER operation. Moreover, Esteyco staff was the team in charge of the first industrial design & analysis support activities for the EU-TBM Programme in 2011. They were also the in charge of the engineering activities for the Helium Cooled Lithium Lead (HCLL) & HCPB TBM-Sets presented at ITER Conceptual Design Review (CDR). Esteyco also lead the analysis activities towards CDR for the WCLL TBM design (supporting CEA).

Esteyco has also been supporting EUROfusion in the development of the DEMO Breeding Blankets since 2015, being involved in the four concepts with the main European Fusion Labs: WCLL (for ENEA), HCPB (for KIT), HCLL (for CEA), and DCLL (for CIEMAT). Preliminary support has been also given to the UKAEA in the development of conceptual designs for Breeder Blankets in STEP.