China's nuclear fusion device BEST project construction has achieved a key breakthrough
The cryostat base, hoisted and installed on the morning of October 1st, is the first major vacuum component of the BEST mainframe and the largest vacuum component in China's fusion field. With a diameter of approximately 18 meters, a height of approximately 5 meters, and a total weight of over 400 tons, the base is the heaviest component in the BEST mainframe system. It will be located at the bottom of the entire BEST mainframe and will support the mainframe, which weighs approximately 6,700 tons.
BEST is expected to be completed in two years and demonstrate fusion energy generation
The Compact Fusion Energy Experiment (BEST) is a burning plasma physics experiment currently under construction in Hefei, China. Utilizing compact high-field superconducting tokamak technology, high-performance superconducting magnets, deuterium-tritium fusion fuel, and other new technologies, the BEST will be the first international demonstration of nuclear fusion power generation. Assembly of BEST officially began in May 2025, with completion expected two years later.
The facility will achieve the world's first demonstration of fusion power generation. By 2030, it is expected to light a lamp powered by nuclear fusion.