Characterization of the ITER CS conductor and projection to the ITER CS performance

•The ITER Central Solenoid (CS) is one of the critical elements of the machine.•The CS conductor went through an intense optimization and qualification program, which included characterization of the strands, a conductor straight short sample testing in the SULTAN facility at the Swiss Plasma Center (SPC), Villigen, Switzerland, and a single-layer CS Insert coil recently tested in the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) facility in QST-Naka, Japan.•We obtained valuable data in a wide range of the parameters (current, magnetic field, temperature, and strain), which allowed a credible characterization of the CS conductor in different conditions.•Using this characterization, we will make a projection to the performance of the CS in the ITER reference scenario.