China accelerates efforts towards nuclear fusion with global research program

China launched an international science program on fusion burning plasma and released the research plan for its compact fusion experiment device – Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) – in east China's Anhui Province on Monday, marking a significant step in the pursuit of "artificial sun" technology.

Nuclear fusion energy, which simulates the fusion reaction of the sun to release energy, has been hailed as the ultimate clean energy source. Over the past decades, scientists worldwide have explored various technological routes, including magnetic confinement, to achieve the highly demanding conditions required for sustained fusion reactions.

With the development of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor program and devices such as BEST, "we are entering a new phase of fusion research – burning plasma," said Song Yuntao, vice president of the Hefei Institute of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"This is a key step in fusion engineering research, where, like fire, the reaction itself generates enough heat to sustain the process, laying the foundation for future continuous power generation," Song noted.

China's fusion research has accelerated in recent years, with multiple world records broken. The BEST device, China's next-generation "artificial sun," will play a crucial role in this endeavor.

According to the research plan, once completed by the end of 2027, BEST will conduct deuterium-tritium burning plasma experiments and test its long-pulse, steady-state operation capability. The goal is to achieve fusion power outputs ranging from 20 megawatts to 200 megawatts, producing more energy than is consumed and demonstrating fusion power generation.

"This is an exploration of the 'uncharted territory,' which will face many engineering and physical challenges," said Song. For example, understanding the transport mechanisms of alpha particles, which are critical for maintaining the ultra-high temperature conditions necessary for fusion, requires for deeper exploration.

"By leading the international scientific program, we can leverage the institutional advantages of China's superconducting tokamak large science teams and collaborate with global scientists to overcome the frontier physical challenges of fusion burning," Song noted.

According to the international science program, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Plasma Physics will open up several large-scale fusion research facilities, including BEST, to the global scientific community. It will also set up open research funds and facilitate high-frequency expert exchanges.

China's contributions in nuclear fusion

Located at Hefei Science Island, China's major national fusion science facilities, including the all-superconducting tokamak EAST, have become key international platforms for fusion research. The Institute of Plasma Physics has established stable partnerships with more than 120 scientific institutions across over 50 countries. Several joint centers, including with France, Russia and the United States, have been constructed and are operational, generating influential research results.

China is also actively involved in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor program, with its independently developed key technologies and components highly recognized, making important strides toward advancing global fusion energy research.