EAST Tokamak by Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Continued optimization

Previous confinement record (H-mode)2023Complete.
World record 1,066-second H-mode plasma20 Jan 2025Complete.
Continued optimizationTarget 2025Current milestone.
Support BEST burning plasmaTarget 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

EAST tokamak sustains 1,066-second H-mode plasma, nearly tripling 403-second 2023 record20 Jan 2025

Upcoming

2025Continued optimization (next)
2026Push toward 2000+ second pulses
2027Support BEST burning plasma

Current obstacles

Edge plasma instabilitiesH-mode plasmas are prone to edge disruptions (ELMs) that cause energy release and wall damage.
Power balance over long durationsMaintaining constant heating, refueling and cooling for 1000+ seconds requires sophisticated feedback control.

Physics limits

Wall heat loadingLonger operation increases wall heat accumulation, with materials only able to withstand so much.
Tritium breeding requirementSustained D-T fusion requires tritium breeding blankets to ensure fuel self-sufficiency.

How it works

3 parts

Superconducting magnets

Long-duration confinement

Superconducting coils enable long-pulse operation without high power consumption.

H-mode plasma

Improved confinement

H-mode plasma develops an edge transport barrier, trapping energy better at high power.

Sustained operations

Multi-minute continuous fusion

Extended operation demonstrates what power plant operation requires.

Spec sheet

Spec	EAST Tokamak
H-mode record Jan 2025	1,066 seconds^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Mon 20 Jan 2025

Major: EAST tokamak sustains 1,066-second H-mode plasma, nearly tripling 403-second 2023 recordPressResearch

About Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS

The team behind EAST Tokamak

Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS

BEST tokamak, EAST, burning plasma, China fusion

The Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, founded in 1978, develops China's fusion program. It operates the EAST tokamak and is building BEST (Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak), aimed at demonstrating net fusion power by 2030.

ASIPP operates EAST tokamak and is building BEST for burning plasma demonstration.
BEST entered four-ring assembly in 2026; first plasma targeted for late 2027.
Target: Q≥5 and net electricity generation by 2030 from deuterium-tritium fusion.

Company profile →

Founded: 197848 yrs
Headquarters: China
Status: Public
Valuation: public
Staff: ~400
Works in: EnergyFusion
Coverage: 2 programs · 5 updateslatest 1 Jan 2026checked 10 Oct
Partners: EUROfusion (opens euro-fusion.org)Chinese Academy of Sciences (opens cas.cn)

Spec

EAST Tokamak

H-mode record Jan 2025

1,066 seconds^R (reported)