China successfully tested two domestically built superconducting magnets for a nuclear fusion reactor, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Engineers confirmed both magnets passed technical acceptance and full-load testing recently. This achievement moves the country significantly closer to generating electricity through nuclear fusion.
Researchers designed a compact experimental device around one of these newly tested magnets specifically. Engineers expect to complete construction of this device by late 2027. Consequently, this timeline supports China’s broader ambition of producing fusion-generated power around 2030.
Qin Jinggang, deputy director at the Institute of Plasma Physics, explained the six-year development process. His team originally received two core objectives: boost performance while simultaneously reducing overall costs. Back then, engineering designs and material sourcing remained largely uncertain and unresolved.
Nevertheless, researchers eventually achieved substantial performance gains alongside complete supply chain localization. Superconducting material costs dropped dramatically, falling from 400 yuan to roughly 100 yuan per meter. Meanwhile, the newly tested coil grew considerably larger than earlier reactor designs.
Specifically, a single coil’s weight increased from 350 tons to 580 tons. This scaling enables future fusion devices to operate at significantly higher energy levels. However, Qin cautioned that passing these tests represents only eighty percent of progress.
Engineers must still install the coil inside the reactor and verify long-term stability. Only after completing those additional tests, Qin noted, can researchers claim true mastery. Beyond magnets, China previously set a world record for sustained plasma temperature.
Specifically, the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak maintained 100 million degrees Celsius for over 1,066 seconds. This latest magnet breakthrough addresses one of nuclear fusion’s most persistent technical bottlenecks. Therefore, Qin remains optimistic, insisting that decades of dedicated nuclear fusion research are finally paying off.
