China Targets Fusion Power by 2030 After Magnet Breakthrough
- tech360.tv
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
China has updated its nuclear fusion development timeline, aiming for its first kilowatt-hour of fusion power by 2030. This target follows the technical acceptance of two domestically developed superconducting magnets for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, or CFETR, after full-parameter testing concluded in late June.
The high-temperature superconducting central solenoid coil forms a critical component within the CFETR reactor. This reactor is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. Following six years of development, the tested magnets achieved complete domestic production. This covered raw materials, structural design, manufacturing equipment, and process technology.
The cost of superconducting materials saw a notable reduction. It dropped from 400 yuan per metre to just 100 yuan per metre. This represents a 75 per cent reduction achieved through domestic supply chain development. And these new magnets demonstrate a significant scale increase over prior designs.
Individual coil weight increased from 350 tonnes to 580 tonnes. This larger scale enables greater energy output from the planned fusion reactor. The magnet system is considered the most challenging component within the nuclear fusion engineering chain. Its successful validation removes a crucial technical barrier for the CFETR timeline.
China's fusion research has shown rapid acceleration. In early next year, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, known as EAST or the artificial sun, achieved 1 billion degrees Celsius plasma steady-state operation for 1,066 seconds. This event established a new world record.
The EAST facility has served as a vital testbed. It supports the development of technologies intended for deployment in the full-scale CFETR reactor. But nuclear fusion, the process powering the sun, has long been pursued as a clean energy solution.
A fusion reactor combines hydrogen isotopes at extreme temperatures. This process yields helium and energy. The potential exists to provide virtually unlimited carbon-free electricity. The fuel source, deuterium and tritium, is abundant. The reaction itself produces no long-lived radioactive waste.
The primary engineering challenge lies in confining the superheated plasma. This confinement must last long enough for sustained energy production. So China's fusion programme now ranks among the world's most ambitious.
The CFETR project is positioned between the international ITER experimental reactor and a future demonstration fusion power plant. The 2030 target for the initial electricity generation would place China ahead of most international fusion timelines. These typically aim for 2035 or later for commercial-scale demonstration.
The achievement of completely domestically produced superconducting magnets holds strategic significance. It reduces reliance on foreign supply chains for vital fusion infrastructure. According to a report by IT Home, this progress marks a key step.
China targets first kilowatt-hour of nuclear fusion power by 2030.
Domestically produced superconducting magnets for the CFETR reactor achieved technical acceptance.
Material costs for superconducting components reduced by 75 per cent through domestic supply chain development.
The EAST facility previously set a world record for sustained high-temperature plasma operation.
China's fusion programme aims to precede many international timelines for commercial-scale demonstration.
Source: PANDAILY
