TCABR inaugurated at USP

1999 marks the inauguration of TCABR (Tokamak Chauffage Alfvén Brésilien) at the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo (USP). It was the acquisition of a larger reactor from Switzerland, which allowed Brazil to modernise its experimental infrastructure and stay at the frontier of global fusion research.

In the 1990s, the Brazilian scientific community faced the challenge of replacing TBR-1, the first tokamak in Latin America, which had operated at USP since 1979 and was already technologically outdated.

While countries such as China and India were making significant leaps in the field, Brazil worked with modest alternatives because of scarce funding and the absence of a structured national fusion programme. The solution found was international cooperation to acquire an existing, proven machine.

1. International negotiation
   The USP Institute of Physics negotiated the purchase of a 1980 tokamak belonging to the Lausanne Polytechnic School, in Switzerland.
2. Investment
   The acquisition cost around BRL 700,000 (in 2014 values), funded with support from FAPESP.
3. Inauguration and naming
   The reactor was re-inaugurated in 1999 under the name TCABR.
4. Technical capacity
   Since its installation it has been the largest tokamak in operation in Brazil, enabling experiments far more complex than those previously possible.

Operating TCABR provided the technical and scientific grounding needed to create the National Fusion Network (RNF) in 2006. The success of the research carried out with this machine was also key to justifying the cooperation agreement between Brazil and Euratom in 2009, ensuring the country was not a mere spectator but an active participant in the era of the ITER project.