China completes world’s largest superconducting fusion magnet
China’s Institute of Plasma Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has finished a 582‑tonne, D‑shaped superconducting toroidal‑field magnet measuring 21 m long and 12 m wide. The magnet passed acceptance testing after a six‑year development programme and stores about three times more energy than comparable ITER magnets, with a volume roughly 1.3 times larger. Built entirely with domestic technology and materials, the component eliminates foreign supply dependence.
The magnet is a key element of the state‑run CRAFT project and will be installed in the upcoming BEST tokamak. Together with a high‑temperature superconducting central solenoid coil, it is intended to confine plasma heated to over 100 million °C, enabling a prototype “artificial Sun” fusion reactor. Chinese officials say the breakthrough brings the target of generating electricity from fusion by around 2030 within reach, positioning China as a leader in carbon‑free energy technology.
Entities: Artificial Sun project · BEST tokamak · CRAFT project · China · Chinese Academy of Sciences – Institute of Plasma Physics · Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences · International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] China aims to generate electricity from fusion by around 2030 using this technology. (new)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet stores about three times more energy than comparable ITER magnets. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet can generate a magnetic field strong enough to confine plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million °C. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] China completed a 582‑tonne, 21 m × 12 m superconducting toroidal‑field magnet, the largest ever built. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet is part of China’s CRAFT project and will be used in the upcoming BEST tokamak. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet passed acceptance testing after a six‑year development programme. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet’s volume is about 1.3 times that of comparable ITER magnets. (existing)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The magnet was built entirely with domestic Chinese technology and materials, reducing foreign dependency. (existing)