China has made a breakthrough in its pursuit of commercial nuclear fusion after completing the world's largest superconducting magnet for its next-generation "artificial sun" program in Hefei, the capital of east China's Anhui Province.
Developed by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the toroidal field magnet weighs 582 tons and measures 21 meters long, making it the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built.
The magnet is one of the most critical components of a fusion reactor. Unlike today's nuclear power plants, which generate electricity by splitting atoms, fusion works by combining hydrogen isotopes — the same process that powers the sun.
The reaction releases enormous amounts of energy without producing carbon emissions during operation.
However, fusion requires plasma heated to more than 100 million degrees Celsius, around six times hotter than the sun's core. Powerful superconducting magnets are needed to confine this plasma without allowing it to touch the reactor walls.
According to Chinese researchers, the new magnet is 1.3 times larger than the equivalent component used in the ITER international fusion project and stores three times more magnetic energy. It was developed using entirely domestic core technologies after a six-year research effort.
The breakthrough is expected to support China's roadmap toward building future fusion reactors and advancing its "artificial sun" program.
While significant engineering challenges remain before commercial fusion becomes a reality, the achievement further strengthens China's position in the global race to develop what many scientists consider the ultimate source of virtually limitless, clean energy.
Reporter | Xie Hongzhou
Camera | Xie Hongzhou
Video & Poster | Xie Hongzhou
