Spark fusion illuminates the future energy journey. On August 25th, the 2026 Nuclear Fusion Energy Conference and Nuclear Fusion Week with the theme of "Gathering Strength for Innovative Fusion Future" opened in Shanghai. Representatives from research institutes, universities, central enterprises, private science and technology innovation enterprises, and investment institutions gathered in Shanghai to review the arduous journey of fusion research and development, look forward to the magnificent prospects of energy transformation, and work together to explore the latest progress and future development path of nuclear fusion energy research.
Clarify the technological path
At the opening ceremony, Wang Yan, Director of the China International Nuclear Fusion Energy Program Executive Center, and Jingxiang Daiqian, Deputy Director of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization Supervision Department, delivered keynote speeches on the overall development of China's nuclear fusion energy technology and the progress of the ITER program implementation. At the same time, the conference released the "Technical Atlas of Nuclear Fusion Energy Devices (Volume 1) - Tokamak Volume", the China Circulation No. 4 Target Image, and the roadmap for the development of high-temperature superconducting magnets for the Yangtze River Delta High Temperature Superconducting Magnet Technology Innovation Consortium Fusion Reactor.
The "Technical Atlas of Nuclear Fusion Energy Devices (Volume 1) - Tokamak Volume" focuses on the first four levels of research and development, covering seven core areas and 251 technical items, dedicated to providing systematic technical guidance for device development, industrial layout, and achievement transformation.
The China Circulation No. 4 target image is positioned as the world's first high-temperature superconducting strong field steady-state combustion experimental platform, which will verify the reliability of 25T (Tesla) high-temperature superconducting strong field magnets in complex fusion environments, demonstrate the intelligent control of fusion reactors, and achieve long-term steady-state operation of the device.
The research and development of nuclear fusion energy spans the entire chain of basic theory, precision engineering, equipment manufacturing, energy generation, and industrial transformation. It has a long cycle, high difficulty, and strong systematicity. Many cutting-edge scientific bottlenecks and engineering technology problems are intertwined and urgently need to be systematically solved, "said Zhang Guangjun, a member of the Party Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, in his speech.
Based on policies such as the Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China and the 15th Five Year Plan, China has included controllable nuclear fusion as a key focus of future industrial research and development. At the same time, China has deeply participated in the ITER international scientific project, adhered to independent research and development in parallel with international cooperation, and steadily promoted the engineering and industrialization of fusion technology.
At present, the overall progress of the ITER procurement package undertaken by China has exceeded 80%, and 8 procurement packages have been accepted and installed on site in France. A multi-level and wide-ranging international cooperation pattern has been formed domestically, and fusion industry clusters have initially formed in Shanghai, Hefei, and Chengdu; China has taken the lead in completing the world's first international standard for nuclear fusion, and now leads the release of 3 international standards, 6 national standards, 7 industry standards, and 196 special standards for nuclear fusion. A batch of scientific research achievements have spread to fields such as healthcare and industrial testing, relying on the ITER mission to cultivate and drive the growth of a group of science and technology innovation enterprises, with more than 200 innovative entities participating in related tasks.
Rushing towards the energy dream
The current global trend of fusion research and development is surging, and many countries are accelerating the layout of the fusion future industry. The foundation of fusion development in our country continues to solidify, but there is still a considerable distance to go before achieving commercialization of fusion at this stage. Plasma steady-state self-sustaining combustion, high radiation resistant materials, and fuel self-sustaining circulation are the three major global technological challenges facing industrial implementation; Engineering challenges such as plasma heating, efficient energy extraction, highly available operation and maintenance, safety and regulatory governance are also prominent, and many technological fields in China have entered unmanned zones.
Faced with numerous challenges, the collaborative efforts of industry, academia, research, and application are accelerating. China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd. is relying on the "two cities and three zones" layout in Shanghai and Chengdu to fully promote the research and development of China Circulation No. 4, empowering fusion technology iteration with artificial intelligence, leading the construction of the Yangtze River Delta High Temperature Superconducting Technology Innovation Consortium, and filling the gaps in the engineering and industrialization of high-temperature superconducting magnets.
Lu Kun, Executive Deputy Director of the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the Institute has mastered the key physics and engineering technologies necessary for fusion reactors by building and operating the Dongfang Super Ring EAST, accelerating the construction of the CRAFT project, deeply participating in the international scientific project ITER, and solidly promoting the BEST project. In the future, we will collaborate with domestic and foreign partners to promote the construction of multiple large-scale scientific devices and projects, accelerate the development and application of nuclear fusion energy, and realize the dream of human fusion energy.
Experts attending the meeting stated that China's fusion industry chain has taken shape. We not only need to leverage the advantages of the new national system to tackle key technologies such as plasma steady-state control, strong field superconducting magnets, and tritium cycling, but also need to improve the innovation ecosystem, adhere to multi line exploration and multi investment, open up the transformation channel from laboratory to industrial application, and make efforts in both independent research and international cooperation to solidly promote the iteration and progress of fusion energy technology.
The conference will last for 4 days and will hold academic exchanges, themed forums, industrial enterprise exhibitions, and other activities. Among them, the theme forum will conduct in-depth discussions on the open sharing of nuclear fusion large-scale scientific devices and the new international collaborative pattern of fusion energy. (Outlook New Era)