China's artificial sun BEST enters final assembly stage
China's compact fusion device known as BEST, often compared to the "planetary engine" in the film The Wandering Earth, has entered its final assembly stage in Hefei. The project currently has a localization rate of 93.4 percent, and during the country's 15th Five‑Year Plan period, this rate is expected to reach 100 percent.
Once completed, the unit will verify its ability to operate in long‑pulse steady‑state conditions and then demonstrate fusion energy generation. The goal is to achieve the world's first fusion‑powered electricity by 2030.
BEST uses a "magnetic cage" confinement system built with superconducting magnets, fuel spheres capable of withstanding temperatures of 1,620°C (2,948°F), and more than 660 world‑first devices integrated into its design.
On October 1, construction reached a major milestone when the Dewar base was successfully hoisted, marking the start of host assembly. Later, on October 25, China's Foreign Ministry shared with the world that BEST is expected to be completed in 2027, potentially becoming the first device in human history to achieve fusion power generation.
BEST is being developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei. The Academy, founded in 1949, is China's national scientific research institution and oversees numerous laboratories and projects across physics, chemistry, engineering, and space exploration. It has played a central role in advancing China's nuclear fusion research, aiming to position the country as a global leader in clean energy innovation. The Hefei institute, in particular, has been at the forefront of experimental fusion devices, contributing to both domestic and international collaborations in the field.
