China advances fusion 'artificial sun' with key magnet test

China's fusion programme announced that two domestically built superconducting magnets for its tokamak reactors passed technical acceptance and full‑load parameter tests on June 27. The coils, including the world’s largest toroidal‑field magnet and a high‑temperature superconducting central solenoid for the compact BEST device, were produced entirely with Chinese materials and processes, with costs halved and weight rising from 350 to 580 tonnes per coil.

The successful tests move the project toward engineering demonstration. The BEST reactor is now slated for completion by the end of 2027, and the plan is to generate the first kilowatt‑hour of electricity from nuclear‑fusion reactions around 2030. Earlier this year China’s EAST tokamak achieved a record 1 billion‑degree plasma sustained for 1,066 seconds, indicating progress toward stable high‑density operation.

These milestones bring China’s “artificial sun” closer to a prototype power‑generation stage, highlighting a fully indigenous supply chain for critical fusion components.