The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), China’s experimental nuclear fusion reactor, has reportedly sustained a fusion reaction for over 1,000 seconds for the first time—specifically, 1,066 seconds (nearly 18 minutes). Despite this significant breakthrough, the news received little attention in Western media.
EAST, which was first activated in 2006, is one of many nuclear fusion reactors being developed worldwide in the pursuit of generating virtually unlimited clean energy—replicating the same process that powers our own Sun.
Simulating a miniature version of the Sun inside a laboratory is, of course, an enormous challenge, making milestones like this particularly crucial. The key to EAST’s success lies in sustaining ultra-high temperatures in plasma over extended periods. This latest record of 1,066 seconds surpasses the previous benchmark of 403 seconds under similar plasma conditions.
The achievement was made by researchers at the Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) and the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), both part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
While China has yet to disclose full details on the exact conditions under which this record was achieved, scientists involved in the project claim that recent innovations have doubled the power of their heating system. This system can now deliver energy equivalent to 140,000 microwave ovens operating simultaneously.
Since EAST became operational, the research team has steadily improved plasma temperature and stability within the reactor’s core. The system employs a high-confinement plasma method, which enhances the retention of the ionized gas necessary for sustained fusion.
Tokamak reactors, like EAST, feature a donut-shaped design and use plasma and magnetic fields to create the extreme conditions required for hydrogen atoms to collide at high velocities and under immense pressure. These collisions result in the release of vast amounts of energy—mimicking the Sun’s natural fusion process.
Although a fully operational nuclear fusion reactor capable of supplying electricity to the power grid remains a distant goal, every technological advance strengthens the hope that fusion energy could one day become a viable power source.
What’s Next?
Work is already underway on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in southern France. This facility is set to become the world’s largest fusion reactor and is expected to break even more records in the years ahead.
China’s Expanding Fusion Research
China also appears to be constructing a major research facility for laser-initiated nuclear fusion in the southwestern city of Mianyang, according to experts from two analytical organizations. This project could contribute to both nuclear weapons development and energy research.
Satellite images show four external “arms” that house laser installations, converging on a central experimental area that contains a target chamber. In this chamber, hydrogen isotopes will be fused together using powerful lasers, generating energy, according to Decker Eveleth, a researcher at the U.S.-based independent research organization CNA Corp.
