China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the “artificial sun,” set a new world record by maintaining a high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds, marking a significant step forward in fusion power research.
Achieving 1,000 seconds is a crucial milestone. The Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) significantly improved the previous record of 403 seconds, also set by EAST in 2023.
The goal of the artificial sun is to create nuclear fusion like the sun, providing endless clean energy and enabling space exploration.
Scientists worldwide have worked for over 70 years to achieve this. A successful fusion device requires temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius, stable long-term operation, and controllability to generate electricity.
Song Yuntao, ASIPP director, emphasized the importance of the new record for developing a fusion reactor. Gong Xianzu, head of EAST Physics, mentioned system upgrades, including a heating system that doubled its power output while maintaining stability.
Tokamak Energy achieves record-breaking plasma temperature of 100M degrees
Since 2006, EAST has been a platform for fusion experiments. China joined the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program in 2006 and contributed to its construction and operation. ITER, which is being built in France, will be the largest experimental tokamak fusion reactor.
EAST’s achievements in high confinement mode provide valuable references for future reactors like ITER and the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR).
Song hopes to expand international collaboration and bring fusion energy into practical use. In Hefei, where EAST is located, new fusion research facilities are under construction to further advance fusion energy development.