China’s “Artificial Sun” shatters fusion record, paving the way for clean energy revolution
By ljdevon // 2025-01-31
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• China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) sustained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds on January 20, 2025, breaking its previous record of 403 seconds. • The breakthrough marks a significant step toward achieving nuclear fusion, a potentially limitless and clean energy source. • EAST is part of a global effort, including the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, to harness fusion energy. • Fusion energy mimics the Sun’s process of combining hydrogen atoms to create helium, releasing vast amounts of energy without greenhouse gas emissions.

A new dawn for fusion energy

On January 20, 2025, scientists in Hefei, China, achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the quest for clean, sustainable energy. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), nicknamed China’s “artificial sun,” sustained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds—nearly 18 minutes—shattering its previous record of 403 seconds set in 2023. This achievement is a critical step toward realizing nuclear fusion, a process that could revolutionize global energy systems by providing a nearly limitless, carbon-free power source. The EAST project, led by researchers from the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) and the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), represents China’s growing leadership in advanced energy technologies. By improving its heating system to reach temperatures equivalent to 140,000 microwave ovens operating simultaneously, EAST has demonstrated unprecedented stability and efficiency in plasma confinement. “Achieving stable operation at high efficiency for thousands of seconds is crucial for the success of fusion devices and the continuous power generation of future fusion plants,” said Song Yuntao, a nuclear physicist at ASIPP.

The science behind the “Artificial Sun”

Nuclear fusion, the process powering the Sun and stars, involves combining two light atomic nuclei, typically hydrogen isotopes, to form a heavier nucleus, releasing vast amounts of energy in the process. Unlike nuclear fission, which splits heavy atoms and is used in current nuclear reactors, fusion produces no long-lived radioactive waste and poses no risk of catastrophic meltdowns. However, replicating the Sun’s fusion process on Earth is extraordinarily challenging. The Sun’s immense gravitational pressure allows fusion to occur at relatively “low” temperatures of around 15 million degrees Celsius. On Earth, scientists must compensate for the lack of such pressure by heating plasma to temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius—hotter than the Sun’s core. EAST, a magnetic confinement reactor, uses powerful magnetic fields to contain and stabilize the superheated plasma. While the reactor has yet to achieve “ignition,” the point at which fusion becomes self-sustaining, its latest record demonstrates significant progress in plasma stability and confinement.

Global collaboration and China’s role

China’s advancements in fusion research are part of a broader international effort to harness fusion energy. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a $22 billion project in southern France, is the world’s largest fusion experiment. ITER, a collaboration among 35 nations, aims to produce 500 megawatts of fusion power from 50 megawatts of input energy for at least 400 seconds. China, one of ITER’s seven principal members, has played a pivotal role in the project. The country is responsible for developing and manufacturing ITER’s magnet supporting system, a 1,600-tonne core component critical to the reactor’s structural integrity. The delivery of the final batch of these components in 2023 marked a major milestone for the ITER project, which is expected to begin operations by 2039. EAST’s achievements also provide valuable experimental data for ITER and other fusion projects worldwide. “We hope to expand international collaboration via EAST and bring fusion energy into practical use for humanity,” said Song Yuntao. “The ultimate goal of an artificial sun is to create nuclear fusion like the Sun, providing humanity with an endless, clean energy source, and enabling space exploration beyond the solar system,” said Gong Xianzu, head of EAST Physics and Experimental Operations. For a world in desperate need of sustainable solutions, the “artificial sun” may one day shine brightly as a beacon of hope. For now, China is leading the way in revolutionizing technology and energy. Sources include: Expose-News.com English.cas.cn English.news.cn
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