How China’s huge industrial supply chain may lead to ‘artificial sun’ via nuclear fusion

After a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion, experts are predicting the start of a race to dominate the ‘holy grail’ of clean energy

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Published: 11:00pm, 16 Jul 2024Updated: 12:04am, 17 Jul 2024

In the eastern city of Shanghai, an experimental Chinese nuclear fusion power plant dubbed “HH70” just announced it has set a world record.

In mid-June, the machine – claimed to be the world’s first fully high-temperature superconducting (HTS) tokamak device – successfully obtained its first plasma.

In the world of nuclear fusion, it is no mean feat. And in a world striving to find clean, cheap and limitless energy, it is great news. After all, there is a reason why nuclear fusion is known as the “holy grail” of clean energy.

According to the device’s developer, Shanghai-based fusion energy company Energy Singularity, the HH70 also created another record: the fastest development and building of a superconducting tokamak device.

The HH70 full high-temperature superconducting tokamak device has just obtained its first plasma, but could this achievement spark a nuclear fusion global energy race? Photo: Energy Singularity

In a recent interview with the state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN), Guo Houyang, co-founder and CTO of Energy Singularity, said the HH70 is smaller and cheaper to build, and was constructed in just two years.