Major Breakthrough For China’s ‘Artificial Sun’
Chinese researchers have achieved a monumental milestone in the development of fusion power generation as their ‘artificial sun’ sets a new record.
As reported across multiple scientific journals and news outlets, the ‘artificial’ sun project, officially known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), maintained a steady, highly confined loop of plasma for 1,066 seconds back in January. This is more than double its previous record of 403 seconds.
In March, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) reported their new-generation ‘artificial sun’ dubbed China Circulation-3 for the first time sustained temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius for both atomic nuclei (117 million degrees C) and electrons (160 million degrees C). This ‘dual temperature’ achievement pushes the project in to the burning plasma experiment stage.
These are momentous achievements and another step towards securing a clean and limitless source of energy, but there is still a long road ahead.
It has taken scientists more than 70 years of dedicated research to reach this point, and it is predicted to be decades more before fusion power reaches market viability. Fusion reactors must be able to operate within optimal parameters for thousands of seconds to enable a self-circulating flow of plasma.
Nevertheless, fusion remains the new hope for a clean energy future for many proponents of nuclear power. ‘Artificial sun’ projects replicate the process of fusion that occurs in stars, such as the Sun, potentially providing a limitless source of power without the danger and waste inherent with fission.
China is leading the way on fusion power research and recently topped the list of global nuclear power rankings. 102 nuclear reactors are either in operation, under construction or approved for construction and the country has a combined installed capacity of 113 million kW.
The development of stable, viable fusion power generation has resounding implications for the human race, enabling a new era of technological advancement and space exploration. Nevertheless, a major technological shift of that scale will come with its own unique set of challenges to implement and regulate.
Debate still rages over climate change, fossil fuel industries and renewable energies; the best way forward remains a matter of contention. Meanwhile, research into fusion power generation continues and more developments are expected in the near future. Governments, pundits and the general public alike should be open to the solutions fusion power offers.
As China takes a progressive approach to fusion power, many Western countries remain reticent, still haunted by the spectre of fission-related nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. The image of nuclear power has become intrinsically linked with toxic waste, radioactive fallout and inevitable world-ending war. With the progress being made in generating fusion power, perhaps it’s time to relinquish Atomic Age fears of mutually assured destruction and embrace the possibilities of a new energy age.
From discovering fire to harnessing electricity and taming physics to fly beyond the confines of our world, humankind has proven itself capable of incredible feats when we join together in a common interest.
Echoing US President John F. Kennedy in the early ‘60s when he committed the United States to putting a man on the Moon, we do these things “not because they are easy but because they are hard.” It took bravery, dedication and a decade of steadfast research by an army of experts to achieve that goal. That was 70 years ago, without the aid of the advanced technology available today. Imagine what could be possible if that same innovative, endeavouring spirit of humanity was embraced in a concerted international effort to make fusion a feasible and affordable source of energy for the world.
Our global leaders should at least attempt to do what is hard, not what is easy. The West, particularly Australia, is falling behind on advanced energy research by relying on unsustainable fossil fuel resources and the empty promises of renewable energy. Given these impressive technological breakthroughs, it is now incumbent on leaders of power-dominant countries to fully explore the potential for a new clean source of energy in continued fusion research.
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