China delivers core components for world's largest "artificial sun"

BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has timely delivered all magnet support assemblies for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), an ITER contractor.

The ITER, one of the largest and most important international scientific research projects in the world, is popularly known as "Artificial Sun" since it generates clean, carbon-free energy in a way similar to the sun by emitting light and heat through fusion reactions.

The ITER is jointly funded by the European Union, China, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India and Russia.

At a ceremony held on Friday, the CNNC said the delivery of the core components has laid a foundation for ITER's first plasma discharge, a milestone of the project, and provided strong technical support for the design and construction of future fusion reactors in China.

The superconducting magnet is the largest component to confine the plasma, thus ensuring the fusion reaction proceeds stably. The magnet support system, mainly used to support and fix the magnet system, will be the first basic component to be installed in the ITER system.

Since 2018, the Southwestern Institute of Physics under the CNNC has delivered more than 30 batches of magnet support assemblies.