HANAU, Germany, Dec 16, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) today announced that its Bruker EAS GmbH subsidiary in Hanau has been awarded a 24.5 million Euro contract (USD $36 million) to supply 37 metric tons of high-performance superconducting niobium-tin wire to the ITER international fusion energy project. This order has been placed by Fusion for Energy (F4E), the Barcelona-based agency which is responsible for providing Europe's contribution to ITER. BEST expects to begin shipping the niobium-tin superconductor strands in the second half of 2010, with deliveries phased over the next 30 months thereafter.
The ITER project is a multi-billion dollar international collaboration of China, the European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the U.S., whose mission is to design and construct an experimental fusion reactor to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power generation at a facility being sited in Cadarache, France. Fusion of light elements - the process powering the sun and the stars - could allow future generations to tap into abundant and infinite forms of energy while at the same time reducing risks to the Earth's climate, and helping to preserve the quality of our environment. Fusion energy is considered inherently safe and could contribute to energy independence for many countries. Furthermore, fusion does not result in radioactive waste that represents a long-term storage and potential security problem.
Large-scale superconducting magnets made from niobium-tin strand wire, which is a high-performance metallic superconductor, will be used to confine the fusion plasma in ITER, as well as in future fusion power reactors similar in design to ITER. Magnetic confinement in such large-scale fusion reactors is critically dependent on the availability of superconductor material of the highest performance and quality. BEST is a major global producer of highest quality niobium-tin metallic superconductors which are also used for high-field NMR and FTMS magnets, designed and manufactured by Bruker BioSpin.
Dr. Burkhard Prause, President and Chief Executive Officer of BEST, commented: "BEST has a long history of supplying superconductors to fusion research projects, including model coils for ITER. I am proud that our team is part of this endeavor to provide clean and abundant energy for future generations."
Dr. Klaus Schlenga, Chief Technology Officer of BEST, added: "This large new superconductor order represents an exciting opportunity for BEST to expand its participation in the ITER fusion project. The niobium-tin superconductors made by our manufacturing operation in Hanau are recognized as being among the best superconductors in the world, as this award from F4E clearly indicates. Because of its uniform properties, the niobium-tin wire made by BEST has been selected as the standard material for the world-wide benchmarking of ITER niobium-tin strand test facilities."
For more information on F4E and ITER, please visit http://fusionforenergy.europa.eu.
About Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. and Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR)
Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc. (BEST) is a subsidiary of Bruker Corporation. For more information, please visit http://www.bruker-est.com or http://www.bruker.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Any statements contained in this presentation that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to adverse changes in conditions in the global economy and volatility in the capital markets, the integration of businesses we have acquired or may acquire in the future, changing technologies, product development and market acceptance of our products, the cost and pricing of our products, manufacturing, competition, dependence on collaborative partners and key suppliers, capital spending and government funding policies, changes in governmental regulations, realization of anticipated benefits from economic stimulus programs, intellectual property rights, litigation, and exposure to foreign currency fluctuations and other risk factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including, without limitation, our recent Proxy Statements on Schedule 14A, our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by law.
SOURCE: Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc.
Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies, Inc.
Klaus Schlenga, CTO, +49 (0)6181 4384-4101
klaus.schlenga@bruker-est.com