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Latest News
Holtec hits milestones in Palisades restart, new reactor projects
Steam rises from the Palisades nuclear power plant. (Photo: Holtec International)
The restart of Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Mich., has hit a milestone with the passivation of its primary system, plant owner Holtec International announced Monday, even as a firm restart date has yet to be announced.
Passivation is a chemical process that improves corrosion resistance by making plant materials less reactive. During the process, the reactor’s primary system was brought to normal operating temperature and pressure. Holtec called this passivation phase an “essential step” in maintaining the long-term reliability of equipment.
Director General
ITER Organization
Pietro Barabaschi has served as the Director General of the ITER Organization since 2022, overseeing the reforms and the construction of the ITER project. Prior to this role, he led an R&D Department in Fusion-for-Energy (F4E), the European Joint Undertaking responsible for delivering European components to the ITER and Broader Approach (BA) Fusion international projects. In this capacity, he was specifically accountable for the European contributions to the three projects implemented under the Broader Approach Agreement between Euratom and the Government of Japan: JT60SA, IFMIF/EVEDA, and IFERC. During 2015 and again in 2022, he acted as the Interim Director of F4E, managing the overall operations of the organisation, the project management infrastructure, and the implementation of reform measures within the ITER Management framework. Before joining F4E and until early 2006, Pietro was the Deputy Project Leader and head of the Design Integration Division of the ITER International Team at the Munich Joint Work Site and previously in San Diego, USA. Shortly after completing his university studies in Electromechanical Engineering, he joined the JET Project in Culham, UK, where he contributed to the machine development department.
Mr. Barabaschi has dedicated his career to Nuclear Fusion research, with a focus on developing and constructing the research infrastructures essential for advancing nuclear fusion as a viable energy source.