Another Day of (Artificial) Sun: China Unveils Fusion Energy Project – Sixth Tone

Report on China’s Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Advancing Clean Energy in Line with SDG 7 and SDG 13

The People’s Republic of China has initiated a new phase in its pursuit of clean energy with the official announcement of the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) program. Launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Hefei, Anhui province, this project represents a significant national investment in fusion energy research. The initiative directly supports the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) by aiming to harness fusion power as a viable, long-term, low-carbon energy source.

Project Overview and Technical Objectives

The BEST program is centered on the construction and operation of a tokamak, a device designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun. The project’s primary objectives are critical to advancing global fusion energy science and contribute to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

• Primary Goal: To achieve and study a “burning plasma,” a state where the fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining from the heat it generates internally. This is a crucial milestone for demonstrating the feasibility of continuous power generation from fusion.
• Methodology: Experiments will utilize deuterium and tritium, isotopes of hydrogen, to create the plasma. Success will be measured by the ability of the reactor to produce more energy than it consumes.
• Timeline: The facility is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The BEST initiative is intrinsically linked to several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, positioning it as a project of global significance for sustainable development.

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: Fusion is regarded as a potential “ultimate energy source” due to its capacity to provide virtually limitless clean energy. The BEST project is a foundational step toward realizing this potential, aiming to unlock a power source that does not produce greenhouse gases.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The program represents a major investment in large-scale scientific infrastructure and technological innovation. It is part of a broader national strategy to advance research in critical fields, thereby strengthening China’s scientific and industrial capabilities.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action: By pursuing a carbon-free energy source, the BEST project directly addresses the root causes of climate change. It complements China’s existing low-carbon strategy, where nuclear power is a key component, and offers a long-term solution for decarbonizing the global energy sector.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The initiative strongly emphasizes international cooperation. The launch event included the signing of the Hefei Fusion Declaration with scientists from over 10 nations to promote open science. Furthermore, CAS will make its major fusion research platforms, including BEST, accessible to the global scientific community, supported by funds for international collaboration and expert exchanges. This builds upon existing partnerships, such as China’s involvement in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project.

Context and Future Outlook

The BEST program is the next stage in China’s long-term nuclear energy research, building on the successes of existing facilities like the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). EAST, also located in Hefei, has achieved significant milestones, including sustaining high-temperature plasma for over 1,000 seconds. The development of BEST underscores a continued national commitment to pioneering clean energy technologies and fostering global scientific collaboration to address the world’s most pressing energy and climate challenges.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The article focuses on China’s development of fusion energy, described as a potential source of “limitless clean energy” and the “ultimate energy source.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The project is part of China’s “broader transition to clean energy” and its “low-carbon strategy.”

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

• The development of the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) is a large-scale science project that represents a significant investment in resilient infrastructure and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation. The article states that China has “stepped up its investment in large-scale science projects” and that BEST is an “exploration into uncharted territory,” highlighting its innovative nature.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article emphasizes the importance of global collaboration in achieving fusion energy. It mentions the “Hefei Fusion Declaration,” an agreement to “advance open science in the field of fusion energy” signed by scientists from over 10 countries. The initiative also includes making research platforms “accessible to the global scientific community” and establishing “open research funds to support international collaboration,” which directly supports the goal of strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • While fusion is not renewable in the same way as solar or wind, it is a clean, low-carbon energy source. The article notes that nuclear power is a “crucial part of the country’s low-carbon strategy.” The BEST project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of generating electricity from fusion, which would contribute to substantially increasing the share of clean energy.
2. Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.
   • The article explicitly details efforts to “promote cooperation among Chinese and global fusion energy experts.” The signing of the “Hefei Fusion Declaration” and the plan to make major fusion research platforms “accessible to the global scientific community” are direct actions that align with this target.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
   • The BEST project is a prime example of enhancing scientific research. The article describes it as China’s “next-stage push in its long-term nuclear energy research” and an effort to achieve a “burning plasma,” which is a “central milestone” in fusion technology. This represents a significant upgrade in technological capabilities and an investment in R&D.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms…
   • The article highlights the launch event which “invited fusion scientists from more than 10 countries, including France, the UK, and Germany.” The resulting “Hefei Fusion Declaration” to “advance open science” and the establishment of “open research funds to support international collaboration and expert exchanges” are direct implementations of this target.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Implied Indicator for Target 7.2: The article provides a baseline data point by stating that nuclear power makes up “around 5% of the total [domestically produced energy] in 2024.” Progress would be measured by the increase in this percentage resulting from new clean energy sources like fusion.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 7.a: The number of countries participating in the collaboration (“more than 10 countries”) and the establishment of “open research funds” serve as qualitative and quantitative indicators of enhanced international cooperation in clean energy research.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

1. Implied Indicator for Target 9.5: The article implies significant R&D spending through its description of China’s move to “stepped up its investment in large-scale science projects.” The construction and operation of the BEST facility itself is a tangible indicator of investment in scientific research and technological infrastructure.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Implied Indicator for Target 17.6: The existence of the “Hefei Fusion Declaration” is a specific indicator of an international agreement on science and technology cooperation. The number of international scientists and institutions accessing the research platforms and funds would be a direct measure of knowledge sharing.

Summary of Findings

Source: sixthtone.com