China's heat reactor, known as the artificial sun, just broke its own record when it maintained a super hot plasma cycle for 1,066 seconds on January 20, 2025.
China's state media reported that this is a big step forward in the journey to conquer an almost unlimited source of clean energy. The EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) reactor has far surpassed the old record of 403 seconds, marking an important milestone on the path to developing thermal energy.
Atrophy - the process of merging two light atoms into a heavier one under high temperatures and pressures - acts similarly to the way the Sun creates energy. However, reactors on Earth must reach temperatures tens of times higher than the Sun to compensate for lower pressures.
Thermal power has the potential to provide an almost unlimited source of energy, no greenhouse gases and little radioactive waste. However, after more than 70 years of research, this technology is still not fast enough to become a solution to the climate crisis.
Although EAST's new record has not been able to bring humanity closer to the "Sacred Cup" dream of clean energy, this is still an important step forward. According to Song Yuntao, Director of the Plasma Physics Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, maintaining a stable plasma circulation for a long time is a necessary condition for the development of thermal power plants in the future.
Currently, thermal reactors such as EAST still consume more energy than they generate. However, the collected data will support other international projects, including ITER - an international thermal reactor under construction in France. It is expected that ITER will start in 2039 and pave the way for the commercialization of thermal energy.
Song shared: "We hope to expand international cooperation through EAST and put heat energy into practical application, serving humanity".
