Conducting research on burning plasma physics, achieving energy output greater than energy consumption, demonstrating fusion power generation... On the morning of November 24, in the main hall of the Compact Experimental Stellarator (BEST) at the Future Science City in Hefei, Anhui, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' "Burning Plasma" International Scientific Program was officially launched and for the first time released to the international fusion community. It is dedicated to igniting the "artificial sun".
Fusion energy simulates the fusion reaction of the sun to release energy, and is hailed as the "ultimate energy" for humanity. For decades, scientists have explored the strict conditions required for fusion reactions, such as high parameters and long pulses, through technical routes like magnetic confinement. "We are about to enter a new stage of burning plasma," said Song Yuntao, vice president of the Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of the Institute of Plasma Physics. This is a key part of fusion engineering research. It means that fusion, like a flame, is sustained by the heat generated by the reaction itself, which is the foundation for future continuous power generation.
In recent years, China's fusion research has accelerated, breaking world records multiple times. As China's next-generation "artificial sun", the BEST device bears the mission of "burning". According to the research plan, after the completion of this device by the end of 2027, it will conduct experimental studies on deuterium-tritium burning plasmas, verifying its long-pulse steady-state operation capability, aiming to achieve a fusion power of 20 to 200 megawatts, achieving energy output greater than energy consumption, and demonstrating fusion power generation.
Construction site of the Compact Experimental Stellarator (BEST) taken on October 1, 2025 (drone photo). Photo by Zhou Mu, Xinhua News Agency.
"This is an exploration in the 'no-man's land', facing many engineering and physical challenges," said Song Yuntao. For example, alpha particles are crucial for maintaining the super-high temperature conditions required for fusion reactions, but their transport laws need further study. "Initiating the international scientific program can not only rely on the institutional advantages of China's superconducting tokamak large science team, but also help gather the wisdom and strength of scientists around the world to collaboratively break through the frontier physics problems of fusion combustion."
According to the international scientific program, the Institute of Plasma Physics will open up multiple large-scale fusion science facilities, including BEST, to the world, set up open research funds, and sponsor frequent expert exchanges. Scientists from more than ten countries, including France, the UK, and Germany, jointly signed the "Hefei Fusion Declaration". The declaration advocates the spirit of open sharing and win-win cooperation, encouraging researchers from various countries to conduct fusion collaborative research in China.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency)
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