French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority Approves Exemption of ITER Vacuum Vessel from Fission Pressurized Equipment Regulation

The French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR) has formally issued a regulatory ruling, approving the application by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization to exclude the Vacuum Vessel, a core component of the ITER tokamak device, from the scope of regulation under the French and European Nuclear Pressure Equipment Directive (ESPN). This breakthrough ruling marks the beginning of key fusion reactor components breaking free from the regulatory framework derived from traditional fission reactors. Prior to this decision, the ITER Vacuum Vessel had long been classified as nuclear pressure equipment. This classification originated from the management practices of traditional light-water fission reactors, whose underlying logic presumes internal pressure as the primary engineering load on the structure. However...

2026-10-11

Russia Completes Qualification Tests of ITER First Wall Tungsten Lining, Advancing Development of Key Components for International Thermonuclear Fusion

The Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus (NIIEFA), a subsidiary of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, recently successfully completed the qualification testing phase of tungsten materials for the first wall lining of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). This testing aimed to verify the feasibility of the selected technical solution. The expert team completed vacuum rapid brazing of the tungsten lining, robotic ultrasonic inspection, and rigorous thermal cycling tests, laying a solid foundation for subsequent mass production of key components. As the physical boundary between the scorching plasma and the main reactor equipment in a tokamak device, the first wall lining must protect the equipment from high-energy particle bombardment while...

2026-10-10

Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Developing New Quality Productive Forces

Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Developing New Quality Productive Forces. Developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement and an important focus for promoting high-quality development. To accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, the following opinions are hereby put forward. I. General Requirements. We must adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and all its plenary sessions, earnestly implement the arrangements of the Fourth Plenary Session, fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, uphold innovation as the lead, reform as the key, adaptation to local conditions, and establishing the new before abolishing the old, uphold high technology, high efficiency and high quality, and properly handle the relationships between the government and the market, between qualitative state and business forms, between reform and development, and between self-reliance and opening up,...

2026-10-10

ITER Tokamak Plasma Instability Simulation Tool JOREK Released as Open Source

JOREK, a key simulation software used for simulating large-scale plasma instabilities in nuclear fusion devices, was officially released as open source on October 8, 2026, and its code has been hosted under the official GitHub account of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization. This move aims to promote global nuclear fusion research toward a more open and innovative ecosystem, greatly lowering the threshold for researchers in various countries to obtain, use, and further develop this core algorithm code. Nina Schwarz, a researcher at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), pointed out that this open license allows researchers worldwide to contribute code to JOREK and publicly improve the algorithm. A clear open-source license...

2026-10-10

Final Design Review Completed for ITER Neutron Flux Monitor System #7

Recently, the Final Design Review (FDR-2) for the ITER Neutron Flux Monitor System #7 (NFM#7), led by the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP), was successfully held, and the system design scheme was fully affirmed by the review expert panel. The successful passage of this review marks an important milestone achievement in China's development of key ITER diagnostic systems, laying a solid foundation for subsequent system manufacturing and overall delivery. At the review meeting, the project team comprehensively reported the overall and component-level design schemes of the NFM#7 system, and responded item by item to the inquiries raised by ITER international review experts. The expert panel unanimously agreed that the final design of the NFM#7 system...

2026-10-09

Startorus Fusion Completes 20 K Cryogenic Rapid Discharge Test of Central Solenoid Model Magnet (CSMC) for Spherical Tokamak Device

Startorus Fusion (HTS) recently announced that its independently developed central solenoid (CS) model magnet for a spherical tokamak device (tokamak) successfully completed a 6350 A cryogenic current-carrying and rapid discharge test under harsh cryogenic conditions. Test results showed that the magnet achieved a maximum magnetic field of 10 T and a magnetic field change rate of up to 63 T/s, setting a new record for the magnetic field change rate of known fusion superconducting magnets. This test was conducted at 20 K (-253 °C). The magnet not only successfully reached a maximum magnetic field strength of 10 T, with a central magnetic field of 7.6 T, but also smoothly completed the rapid discharge test required for tokamak ohmic discharge. As a...

2026-10-09

Germany Launches Fusion Milestone Program: Plans to Invest €2.5 Billion to Support Fusion Companies Toward Commercialization

On October 7, 2026, the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND), on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), officially launched the Fusion Milestone Program. The program is an important component of Germany's High-Tech Agenda (HTAD), aiming to promote fusion startups and young companies from technology R&D toward demonstration power plant construction through funding support linked to technological progress and commercialization outcomes, further shortening the distance from laboratory research to commercial application of nuclear fusion. According to the program arrangements, the German government will provide funding support through the Special Fund for Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality (SVIK), with plans to invest...

2026-10-09

Laser Fusion Startup Xcimer Receives Up to $30.5 Million in Milestone-Based Funding from U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. excimer laser inertial confinement fusion company Xcimer Energy recently announced that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $30.5 million in funding support through the DOE's Milestone-based Fusion Development Program. The funds will be disbursed in installments based on the progress achieved toward predetermined R&D milestones. Previously, in June 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy formally approved the preliminary conceptual design and technology development roadmap milestones for Xcimer's fusion power plant architecture, Athena. The Athena architecture is specifically designed for continuous operation, industrial-scale capacity, and a self-sustaining fuel cycle...

2026-10-08

The neutral beam injection system prototype independently developed by Shuyan Juchuang has been officially completed and completed its first plasma discharge.

Recently, the neutral beam injection (NBI) system prototype independently developed by Shuyan Juchuang, a domestic upstream commercialization company in controlled nuclear fusion, was officially completed, and on September 30, 2026, it successfully completed the first neutral beam plasma discharge verification. This marks the landing of China's first neutral beam engineering verification prototype fully independently developed along the entire chain by an upstream fusion commercialization company, achieving a technical closed loop from system design to productization verification. It is expected that the relevant capabilities of the system will reach an engineering state ready for direct commercial procurement in December this year. With the smooth completion and successful discharge of this prototype, the company's 2026 annual strategic goals set at the beginning of the year have all...

2026-10-08

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Opens a New Path to Controlled Fusion Ignition: Implementing a "Heat First, Fuel Later" Strategy to Substantially Lower the Energy Threshold

A research team at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has recently proposed an innovative fusion ignition control framework, charting an optimized path toward a self-sustaining burning plasma that requires the lowest external input energy. The study, jointly led by physicists Luis Delgado-Aparicio, Masayuki Ono, and Jonathan Menard, has been formally published in the top-tier physics academic journal Physical Review Letters (Phys...

2026-10-08

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Hosts International Workshop: Deepening Cross-Disciplinary Applications of Plasma in Semiconductor Manufacturing and Controlled Nuclear Fusion

On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hosted the second Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) international workshop in the fall of 2026. The workshop was organized by the laboratory's Applied Materials and Sustainability Sciences Directorate and brought together scholars from the University of Osaka in Japan and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, as well as researchers from PPPL, to focus on...

2026-10-08

South China Regulatory Station Strengthens Fusion Device Regulation to Empower New Technology Development

Recently, the South China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Regulatory Station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the South China Regulatory Station) conducted a radiation safety regulatory inspection of the J-TEXT tokamak fusion experimental device at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. As the only large and medium-sized tokamak experimental device among Chinese universities, J-TEXT bears the important mission of fusion talent cultivation and frontier physics experiments. The South China Regulatory Station focused on key aspects including equipment operation, radiation protection, and authorization management, meticulously investigated safety hazards, verified the implementation of safety management systems, and urged Huazhong University of Science and Technology to promptly plug safety loopholes and standardize device operation procedures, effectively fortifying the defense line for the safe and stable operation of the fusion experimental device, thereby providing a solid safety guarantee for the orderly conduct of scientific research experiments...

2026-10-08

US PPPL Reconstructs 70-Year-Old Lawson Criterion, Proposes New Fusion Ignition Pathway of "Heat First, Fuel Later"

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), released its latest findings on October 5. Laboratory physicists have reconstructed the classic Lawson criterion that has been in use for over 70 years and published the results in Physical Review Letters. The research team integrated four real-world physics effects that were previously treated separately into a unified model, mapping out an entirely new fusion ignition topography. The study shows that adopting a pathway of first heating the plasma and then increasing fuel density can achieve the ignition conditions for self-sustaining burn with far less energy consumption than traditional pathways. For over 70 years, the nuclear fusion field has relied on...

2026-10-07

California Signs Two Bills to Reshape Advanced Nuclear Fission and Fusion Energy Strategy

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed two bills aimed at comprehensively advancing the state's nuclear energy development by reassessing advanced nuclear fission technology and establishing a strategic plan for nuclear fusion. In the field of nuclear fission, Assembly Bill 2647 (A.B. 2647) requires the California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (CEC) to conduct a formal assessment of advanced nuclear energy technologies by January 1, 2028. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, directs the CEC to comprehensively consider factors such as cost, grid reliability, fuel cycle, and public health in determining whether new nuclear power plants can help California achieve its 2045 zero-carbon electricity goal. Calderon stated that given current grid demands, California needs to reassess the role of nuclear energy in ensuring a stable and clean electricity supply based on modern technology.

2026-10-04

Russia's Kurchatov Institute to Receive 5.7 Billion Rubles in Fiscal Budget Support: Focusing on Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion and Advanced Plasma Technology R&D

The National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute" will receive approximately 5.7 billion Rubles in dedicated funding support from the Russian federal budget during the period from 2027 to 2029. This fiscal allocation will be specifically used to advance key technology breakthroughs in Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion, as well as the R&D and experimental validation of innovative Plasma Technologies. The above funding plan is explicitly stated in the draft explanatory document of the 2027–2029 federal budget bill published in the electronic database of the Russian State Duma...

2026-10-03

Poskom Angular Pinch Magnet Pulsed Power Supply Delivered, X-ray High-Voltage Power Supply Manufacturer Officially Enters Fusion Equipment Sector

Recently, the angular pinch magnet pulsed power supply (TP power supply) independently developed by Poskom has completed delivery, marking that this X-ray high-voltage power supply manufacturer has officially entered the controlled nuclear fusion track. This power supply primarily serves experiments including angular pinch, field-reversed configuration (FRC), magnetized plasma generation, and magnetic confinement compression. It is key specialized power equipment for magnetic confinement controlled nuclear fusion and high-energy-density physics research, featuring hardcore capabilities such as nanosecond-level multi-stage multi-channel pulse timing coordination, waveform fidelity under ultra-high current and strong electromagnetic interference, and precise regulation of mutual inductance coupling multi-waveform attenuation, capable of matching the demanding operating conditions of frontier fusion experiments. Poskom was founded in 2015, focusing on specialized high-voltage power supplies, pulsed...

2026-10-03

China's "Artificial Sun" BEST Campus Delivered and Commissioned, Controlled Nuclear Fusion Accelerates Toward Engineering Demonstration

On October 1, the campus of the national major project Compact Fusion Energy Experimental Device (Burning plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak, BEST) was officially delivered and commissioned, and the main machine simultaneously entered the core assembly stage of the "four-ring set." The device is located in Hefei, Anhui, led in design by the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), and constructed by Fusion New Energy (Anhui) Co., Ltd. It is China's independently developed new-generation fusion burning experimental device. BEST aims to simulate solar nuclear fusion and fill the gap between experimental reactors and demonstration reactors...

2026-10-01

Strengthen Regulation of Fusion Devices, Empower the Development of New Technologies

Recently, the South China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the South China Regional Office) conducted a radiation safety supervision inspection of the J-TEXT tokamak fusion experimental device at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. As the only medium-to-large tokamak experimental device at a university in China, J-TEXT bears the important mission of fusion talent cultivation and frontier physics experiments. The South China Regional Office focused on key aspects including equipment operation, radiation protection, and authorization management, meticulously investigated safety hazards, verified the implementation of safety management systems, and urged Huazhong University of Science and Technology to promptly plug safety loopholes and standardize device operation procedures, effectively building a strong defense line for the safe and stable operation of fusion experimental devices, providing solid support for the orderly conduct of scientific research experiments...

2026-10-01

All Four ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) Conceptual Designs Pass Preliminary Design Review

Recently, the ITER Organization officially completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of four Test Blanket Module (TBM) conceptual designs. The four blanket system technical designs led by China, the EU, Japan, and Korea — core ITER member parties — all passed independent review to high standards, marking that "tritium breeding and energy extraction validation," one of ITER's three major engineering goals, has fully entered the final engineering implementation phase, providing critical engineering pathway support for the next-generation fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO) to achieve commercial tritium self-sufficiency. In the blueprint for magnetic confinement fusion power generation, deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactions...

2026-09-30

MOST Sets the Pathway for Hard-Core Science and Technology Breakthroughs in the "15th Five-Year Plan": Comprehensive and Systematic Deployment of Major Basic Research on Controlled Nuclear Fusion to Solidify the Foundation of Future Strategic Energy

At the series-themed press conference on "Getting Off to a Good Start in the '15th Five-Year Plan'" held by the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Science and Technology officially released the top-level design and core breakthrough roadmap for building a science and technology powerhouse over the next five years. When outlining the layout for major science and technology breakthroughs and original innovation, Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun explicitly emphasized that, in strengthening the strategic depth of basic research, China will closely anchor itself to the frontiers of the global energy revolution and, centering on underlying scientific bottlenecks in key fields such as energy and materials, comprehensively and systematically deploy major basic research tasks including controlled nuclear fusion (Controlled Nuclear Fusion), so as to seize the future...

2026-09-30

CAS Ion Completes RMB 600 Million First-Round Financing, Fusion-Derived Technology Industrialization Enters a New Stage

Recently, CAS Ion completed its first round of market-oriented equity financing, with a total amount of RMB 600 million. This round of financing was jointly participated in by CMBI, Wanneng Capital, Qianhai Ark, CITIC Construction Investment Capital, China-Belgium Fund, SMIC Juyuan, Oriental Fortune Capital, Xi'an High-Tech Investment, Ginkgo Valley Capital, Jinju Investment, Wofu Venture Capital, and Hua'an Jiaye. CAS Ion, in accordance with its own business development pace, coordinated and determined the scale of this round of fundraising, and completed all processes including project matching, due diligence interviews, agreement signing, and capital delivery within 3 months. This financing received an enthusiastic market response, with numerous investment institutions actively expressing investment intentions, fully confirming the capital market's recognition of the company's core technology, industrialization capability, and long-term growth...

2026-09-30