China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), also known as the “artificial sun,” has just set a groundbreaking world record by sustaining high-confinement plasma for an impressive 1,066 seconds. This achievement, reached on January 20, 2025, represents a major milestone in the ongoing effort to harness fusion power as a clean and virtually limitless energy source. This new record surpasses the previous world record of 403 seconds, also set by EAST in 2023, marking a significant leap in fusion research.
The ultimate goal of the EAST project is to replicate the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun, providing humanity with an abundant, sustainable energy source and opening doors to space exploration beyond our solar system. Scientists have been working for more than seven decades to achieve this ambitious goal, but generating electricity from nuclear fusion is no easy task. Challenges include reaching temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, maintaining stable long-term operation, and precisely controlling the fusion process.
EAST’s latest achievement is a significant step toward overcoming these challenges. According to SONG Yuntao, director of the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) and vice president of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), the ability to achieve stable operation over thousands of seconds is crucial for future fusion power plants. “A fusion device must operate efficiently and stably for extended periods to maintain the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, which is key for continuous power generation,” SONG said. This latest milestone is seen as a critical step towards realizing a fully operational fusion reactor.
The success of the 1,066-second plasma confinement is the result of several upgrades to the EAST device. GONG Xianzu, head of the EAST Physics and Experimental Operations division, explained that one of the major improvements was the heating system. Previously capable of generating the equivalent power of nearly 70,000 household microwave ovens, the system has now been upgraded to double its power output while maintaining stability and continuity—further improving the performance of the device.
Since its inception in 2006, EAST has not only served as a crucial experimental tool for Chinese scientists but has also been an open testing platform for international fusion researchers. As a key player in the global pursuit of fusion energy, China joined the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in 2006 as its seventh member. Under the agreement, China contributes about 9 percent of ITER’s construction and operation, with ASIPP overseeing China’s participation.
ITER, currently under construction in southern France, is poised to become the world’s largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment and the largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor once completed. EAST’s recent breakthroughs in high-confinement mode are vital for the development of ITER and the future China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). These advances provide invaluable insights and reference points for the worldwide effort to develop practical fusion reactors.
As SONG Yuntao noted, “We hope to expand international collaboration via EAST and accelerate the practical use of fusion energy for humanity.” With new experimental fusion research facilities under construction in Hefei, China, the country is poised to make even greater strides in the pursuit of fusion energy, driving both national and global progress toward a sustainable energy future.
In summary, China’s EAST has not only set a new world record in plasma confinement but has also reinforced its leadership in the global quest for fusion energy. As researchers continue to build on these advancements, the dream of a clean, limitless energy source seems closer than ever.
By Impact Lab