China's 'Artificial Sun' just hit a major milestone: Could this change how the world gets electricity?
An “artificial sun” is a nuclear fusion reactor that copies the same process that powers the Sun, where hydrogen atoms fuse together and release large amounts of energy. It is the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built, with 1.3 times the volume and three times the stored energy of similar magnets.
- Jul 30, 2026,
- Updated Jul 30, 2026 6:00 AM IST
China has completed and tested the world’s largest superconducting fusion magnet, a key component needed to generate clean, virtually limitless energy through nuclear fusion. The milestone marks a major step in China’s long-term ambition to produce fusion electricity by around 2030, a goal that could place it among the leaders in the global race for carbon-free energy.
READ ALSO: US-China AI race puts open models in spotlight; Anthropic CEO calls for AI rules instead of bans
A key fusion breakthrough
The newly accepted toroidal field superconducting magnet was developed by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The D-shaped component measures 21 metres in length and 12 metres in width and weighs 582 tonnes, making it the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built.
Scientists say the magnet is designed to create an extremely strong magnetic field that can trap plasma, the ultra-hot gas needed for fusion reactions, inside a reactor chamber. That plasma must be kept away from the reactor walls while reaching temperatures of around 100 million degrees Celsius.
What is an artificial sun?
An “artificial sun” is a nuclear fusion reactor that copies the same process that powers the Sun, where hydrogen atoms fuse together and release large amounts of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, fusion does not produce carbon dioxide during operation, which is why scientists see it as a potential source of virtually limitless clean electricity.
ALSO READ: Forget solar panels? China’s ‘Artificial Sun’ could change how the world is powered
It is the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built, with 1.3 times the volume and three times the stored energy of similar magnets developed for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's largest fusion project.
The Chinese team also tested a high-temperature superconducting central solenoid coil, a component often described as the heart of a fusion reactor. Similar to a spark plug in a car engine, it helps ignite and sustain the plasma needed for fusion to occur.
Built with domestic technology
China says both technologies were developed entirely with domestic materials and manufacturing capabilities, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for critical fusion parts. The six-year programme has reportedly produced 47 patents and 25 industry standards, according to the research team.
The magnet had to be built to operate reliably for 60 years at temperatures near minus 269 degrees Celsius while enduring intense radiation, high currents and severe mechanical forces. Engineers also reduced electrical resistance in key joints to nearly zero, allowing currents above 1 lakh amperes to pass with minimal energy loss.
Building on earlier records
The latest achievement adds to China’s expanding fusion record. Earlier this year, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, or EAST, sustained plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds, setting a global benchmark for long-duration operation.
China has laid out a three-stage fusion roadmap. Its Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, followed by the first fusion power generation around 2030. The longer-term aim is to build the China Fusion Engineering Demonstration Reactor, which could become the world’s first fusion demonstration power plant.
Challenges still remain
Despite the milestone, researchers caution that fusion power is still not ready for commercial use. Full reactor assembly, long-term durability testing and proof that the technology can generate more energy than it consumes are still major hurdles.
Even so, scientists say each advancement brings fusion closer to reality. If successful, the technology could transform the future of electricity generation with a source of energy that is clean, safe and nearly inexhaustible.
China has completed and tested the world’s largest superconducting fusion magnet, a key component needed to generate clean, virtually limitless energy through nuclear fusion. The milestone marks a major step in China’s long-term ambition to produce fusion electricity by around 2030, a goal that could place it among the leaders in the global race for carbon-free energy.
READ ALSO: US-China AI race puts open models in spotlight; Anthropic CEO calls for AI rules instead of bans
A key fusion breakthrough
The newly accepted toroidal field superconducting magnet was developed by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The D-shaped component measures 21 metres in length and 12 metres in width and weighs 582 tonnes, making it the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built.
Scientists say the magnet is designed to create an extremely strong magnetic field that can trap plasma, the ultra-hot gas needed for fusion reactions, inside a reactor chamber. That plasma must be kept away from the reactor walls while reaching temperatures of around 100 million degrees Celsius.
What is an artificial sun?
An “artificial sun” is a nuclear fusion reactor that copies the same process that powers the Sun, where hydrogen atoms fuse together and release large amounts of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, fusion does not produce carbon dioxide during operation, which is why scientists see it as a potential source of virtually limitless clean electricity.
ALSO READ: Forget solar panels? China’s ‘Artificial Sun’ could change how the world is powered
It is the largest fusion reactor superconducting magnet ever built, with 1.3 times the volume and three times the stored energy of similar magnets developed for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's largest fusion project.
The Chinese team also tested a high-temperature superconducting central solenoid coil, a component often described as the heart of a fusion reactor. Similar to a spark plug in a car engine, it helps ignite and sustain the plasma needed for fusion to occur.
Built with domestic technology
China says both technologies were developed entirely with domestic materials and manufacturing capabilities, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for critical fusion parts. The six-year programme has reportedly produced 47 patents and 25 industry standards, according to the research team.
The magnet had to be built to operate reliably for 60 years at temperatures near minus 269 degrees Celsius while enduring intense radiation, high currents and severe mechanical forces. Engineers also reduced electrical resistance in key joints to nearly zero, allowing currents above 1 lakh amperes to pass with minimal energy loss.
Building on earlier records
The latest achievement adds to China’s expanding fusion record. Earlier this year, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, or EAST, sustained plasma at 100 million degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds, setting a global benchmark for long-duration operation.
China has laid out a three-stage fusion roadmap. Its Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, followed by the first fusion power generation around 2030. The longer-term aim is to build the China Fusion Engineering Demonstration Reactor, which could become the world’s first fusion demonstration power plant.
Challenges still remain
Despite the milestone, researchers caution that fusion power is still not ready for commercial use. Full reactor assembly, long-term durability testing and proof that the technology can generate more energy than it consumes are still major hurdles.
Even so, scientists say each advancement brings fusion closer to reality. If successful, the technology could transform the future of electricity generation with a source of energy that is clean, safe and nearly inexhaustible.