Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro China's state-owned nuclear power giant plans to start up its first commercial plant a few years after its demonstration phase scheduled for 2045
@China National Nuclear Corp
China plans to convert nuclear fusion into a clean and commercial power by 2050, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), the state-run firm leading the country’s drive in the high-risk industry, announced.
The CNNC, which operates the experimental reactor “artificial sun,” will commence its first fusion energy plant in about five years after the demonstration phase, which should begin in 2045. This was stated on Friday during a media briefing.
China in recent years has stepped up investment and research into nuclear fusion—the same reaction that powers the sun and stars—offering the prospect of an limitless, emission-free energy source. However, achieving a stable, scalable fusion reaction ranks among the most technologically challenging problems in modern science, with only a few countries, including the United States, Russia, and South Korea, making partial breakthroughs so far.
Billion-dollar investments and next-generation technology for a clean energy future
CNNC established China Fusion Corp, a new national corporation solely dedicated to fusion energy, in 2023, and formed an industrial coalition to accelerate technological development. The project has already attracted 1.75 billion yuan (approximately $324.2 million) in investment from CNNC and Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co.
These investments are going into the research and development of tokamak technology—devices that use strong magnetic fields to hold and manipulate superheated plasma, enabling energy production without hazardous emissions or significant radioactive wastes.
In the meantime, CNNC is increasing production of domestic fission reactors, including small modular reactors. These will be enlarged over the next five years to meet the country’s expanding energy demands.
By 2030, China could replace France and the United States as the global frontrunner in active nuclear reactors. Following the 2022 energy crisis, the Chinese government greenlighted the construction of around 10 new reactors every year—a pace that will continue as the country strives to meet its climate targets.
