China's BEST fusion reactor moves closer to power generation goal

China's Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) fusion reactor has reached a significant construction milestone with the installation of the Dewar base, a massive vacuum-insulated vessel critical for maintaining the cryogenic temperatures needed by the reactor’s superconducting magnets. Weighing over 400 tonnes and measuring 18 meters in diameter, the Dewar base is the largest vacuum component ever produced in China’s fusion research field. This installation lays the foundation for assembling the reactor’s core systems and is essential for confining plasma heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius, a key step toward achieving the project’s goal of generating electricity from fusion by 2030, initially aiming to power a light bulb. This progress places China’s BEST reactor among the leading global fusion projects, which aim not only to sustain fusion plasma but also to convert fusion energy into practical electricity generation. The development occurs alongside international efforts such as the ITER project in France, where superconducting wire testing and advanced diagnostic tools are advancing fusion research