China has activated the world’s largest superconducting magnet as part of its CRAFT nuclear fusion project, establishing a new benchmark for clean energy research.
The Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology, or CRAFT, includes the toroidal field coil that generates a strong magnetic field. This coil functions as a cage to contain plasma heated above 100 million degrees Celsius.
The assembly also features a central solenoid coil that acts as an igniter. Together the components aim to sustain fusion conditions inside a doughnut-shaped reactor without melting the vessel.
The project is led by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It contributes to international efforts including the ITER collaboration.