China has launched the world’s first fully high-temperature superconducting tokamak device, named HH70, in the Municipality of Shanghai. HH70, designed and built by commercial company Energy Singularity, is smaller and cheaper to produce, paving the way for more commercially viable fusion reactors in the future, said Guo Houyang, co-founder and CTO of Energy Singularity.
The HH70 boasts a magnetic system constructed from high-temperature superconducting materials. Energy Singularity achieved this within two years, setting a world record for the fastest development and construction of a superconducting tokamak device.
The successful operation of the HH70 marks a significant milestone for China. It signifies a major step forward in verifying the engineering feasibility of high-temperature superconducting tokamaks.
Over the past few years, breakthroughs in high-temperature superconducting materials and other technologies have made it possible to develop an economically viable tokamak, according to Guo.
By 2027, Energy Singularity aims to build a next-generation tokamak, a steady-state, high-magnetic-field, high-temperature superconducting model. This project will lay the groundwork for commercially viable fusion energy acquisition, with an ultimate goal of a demonstration power plant by 2030, Guo added.
