China has announced its goal to produce a prototype of a 25T (Tesla) high-temperature superconducting magnet by 2030.
This vision was revealed at the 2026 Fusion Energy Conference held in Shanghai on August 25, as reported by the Chinese news outlet The Paper on August 26. The conference saw the formation of a 'fusion consortium' led by the state-owned China National Fusion Energy (聚變能源), with participation from eight entities including Shanghai Superconductor, Eastern Superconductor, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The consortium aims to develop high-temperature superconducting ferromagnetic tokamak magnets that meet the specifications required for China's fusion experimental device, the China HL-4. They have outlined a roadmap to produce and test the 25T superconducting magnets by 2028 and to manufacture prototypes by 2030.
The China HL-4 is the world's first fusion experimental platform utilizing plasma with high-temperature superconducting ferromagnetic technology. Its goal is to verify the stable operation of the 25T superconducting magnets. Tokamak fusion reactors generate power using plasma exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, requiring strong magnetic fields produced by superconducting magnets to confine the plasma.
The stronger the magnetic field, the smaller the tokamak device can be. Recently, countries have been developing high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technology, which maintains superconducting properties even at elevated temperatures, replacing copper wire. Therefore, the 25T superconducting magnet is considered essential for the commercialization of fusion reactors. The United States' SPARC and the United Kingdom's STEP devices are also pursuing high-temperature superconducting technology for their respective fusion projects.
Meanwhile, China National Fusion Energy was established in July 2025 in Shanghai, with the China National Nuclear Corporation as its largest shareholder. The company focuses on three main areas: fusion reactor design, development and verification of high-temperature superconducting magnets, and research and development of digital fusion reactors.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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