582-Tonne Magnet Brings China's Artificial Sun Closer to Reality
What Happened
China has completed and tested a 582-tonne superconducting magnet, the largest ever built for a fusion reactor, marking a major milestone in its "Artificial Sun" programme. The giant D-shaped magnet will be used in the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST), a next-generation fusion reactor designed to replicate the process that powers the Sun.
Key Takeaways
China aims to complete the BEST reactor by 2027 and demonstrate fusion-based electricity generation around 2030. If successful, fusion could provide virtually limitless clean energy with far less long-lived radioactive waste than conventional nuclear power.