China Aims for Staggering Nuclear Fusion Milestone by 2030
In the global race to shape the future of energy, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom are leading the charge. One of the most significant developments is taking place in China, where the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is spearheading the planning and construction of the Xinghuo fusion-fission nuclear power plant.
The Xinghuo reactor, to be built on central China's Yaohu Science Island, is designed to be a fusion-fission power plant. This unique approach combines nuclear fusion and nuclear fission technologies, promising a significant leap in clean energy production.
Xinghuo is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment, with the assessment expected to conclude by the end of the year. The project is estimated to cost approximately $2.76 billion.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the JET tokamak has made strides in nuclear fusion research. In 2023, the JET tokamak produced 69.26 megajoules of energy, surpassing the 59 megajoules produced by the National Ignition Facility's earlier achievement in the United States. The JET figure, while a net loss, still represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable energy.
The National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United States achieved net energy gain in a fusion reaction in 2022 and repeated the feat in the following year. This achievement, while not in a power plant setting, signifies a major step towards harnessing fusion energy on a commercial scale.
In China, the country's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), often referred to as China's "artificial sun," recently set a new world record by maintaining steady-state high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds.
The Xinghuo reactor aims to achieve an energy gain factor (Q) of more than 30, significantly higher than the 1.5 Q recorded by the National Ignition Facility's significant result. The huge ITER tokamak collaboration, on the other hand, has a goal of Q of 10 or greater.
Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. In contrast, nuclear fission is a process that splits heavy nuclei into other nuclei, producing energy and waste. The fusion-fission approach of Xinghuo promises to address some of the challenges associated with pure fusion reactors, such as high temperatures and the need for stable confinement of plasma.
It's important to note that Xinghuo is not the only fusion project in China. The country is investing heavily in fusion research, and the Xinghuo project is just one piece of this larger puzzle.
As these projects move forward, the world is one step closer to a sustainable, clean energy future. The Xinghuo fusion-fission power plant, if successful, could revolutionise the energy landscape and pave the way for a more sustainable and secure energy supply.
