China’s nuclear fusion scientists set record span for plasma 6 times hotter than the sun

Latest ‘artificial sun’ test shows researchers now capable of simulating operational environment of a future fusion power plant, experts say

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Chinese researchers at the EAST nuclear fusion test facility were able to maintain super-heated plasma for more than 17 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 403 seconds, which was also set by EAST in 2023. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 2:07pm, 21 Jan 2025Updated: 3:51pm, 21 Jan 2025

Scientists in China on a quest to build a nuclear fusion reactor capable of producing unlimited, low-cost energy have achieved a sustained plasma temperature exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million Fahrenheit) for an unprecedented 1,066 seconds – a world record.

The milestone, accomplished at the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) facility at the Institute of Plasma Physics in Hefei on Monday, surpassed the previous record of 403 seconds set by EAST in April 2023.

The researchers are conducting tests on the experimental device for China’s “artificial sun” project, seen as a critical step towards making fusion reactors a reality.

“To achieve self-sustaining plasma and enable fusion power plants to generate electricity continuously, a fusion device must operate highly efficiently in a stable state for thousands of seconds,” said Song Yuntao, the institute’s director.

Achieving viable nuclear fusion on Earth will require plasma temperatures hotter than the sun to compensate for our planet’s smaller mass, according to scientists. The temperature at the core of the sun is about 15 million degrees Celsius, according to the mainstream estimate.

The control centre at the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), dubbed China’s “artificial sun”. Photo: Xinhua

Monday’s breakthrough recreated the conditions required for future fusion reactors. “Crossing the threshold of 100 million degrees and 1,000 seconds demonstrated our capability to simulate the operational environment of a future fusion power plant,” Sun told state news agency Xinhua.