China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also known as China’s artificial sun, has achieved a new breakthrough in nuclear fusion. The construction of an industrial prototype is expected to be completed by 2035. Recently, the EAST set a new record by maintaining plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for 403 seconds. Now, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported that the fusion reactor has achieved another breakthrough. In the so-called high-confinement mode, where the density and temperature of the plasma increase significantly, a plasma current of over one million amperes was generated. This is a milestone, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), which is involved in the development of the fusion reactor.
The use of a new, more powerful heat system and a new diverter was crucial in exceeding previous technical limitations. China aims to build an industrial prototype for nuclear fusion by 2035, primarily to accelerate practical research. According to current plans, commercial use of nuclear fusion in China will begin in 2050. A recent report by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) came to a similar conclusion, stating that fusion power plants could be ready as early as 2045. However, some startups, including Proxima Fusion, founded by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Google-X, and Helion Energy, which has already partnered with Microsoft, aim to offer functioning fusion power plants much earlier.
The achievement of EAST is a significant step towards the development of nuclear fusion technology. Nuclear fusion has the potential to provide a virtually limitless source of clean energy, with no greenhouse gas emissions or long-lived radioactive waste. However, there are still technical challenges to overcome before commercial use becomes a reality. The continued progress of research and development in this field is crucial to achieving a sustainable energy future.
