Researchers in France have set an impressive new record. For 22 breathtaking minutes, blazing-hot plasma swirled inside the WEST tokamak, setting a new world record for plasma duration. A tokamak is one of the most promising designs for a fusion reactor: a doughnut-shaped device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine and control superheated plasma reactions.

This achievement, announced by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), marks a major step forward in nuclear fusion research, surpassing the previous record by 25%.

The dream of controlled, long-lasting fusion energy

There are two types of nuclear energy: fission and fusion. Nuclear fission, used in current power plants, involves splitting heavy atomic nuclei like uranium or plutonium to release energy. It’s effective but it produces radioactive waste and carries risks such as meltdowns.

Fusion, on the other hand, works by combining light atomic nuclei, such as hydrogen isotopes, under extreme heat and pressure — mimicking the processes that power the Sun. Unlike fission, fusion has the potential to generate nearly limitless clean energy with minimal waste and no greenhouse gas emissions. However, sustaining these extreme conditions on Earth remains a formidable challenge.

Fusion energy is produced in stars, but replicating the conditions of the Sun on Earth means you have to keep plasma stable at millions of degrees — one of the greatest scientific and engineering challenges of our time. Yet researchers are making progress.

“WEST has achieved a new key technological milestone by maintaining hydrogen plasma for more than twenty minutes through the injection of 2 MW of heating power. Experiments will continue with increased power. This excellent result allows both WEST and the French community to lead the way for the future use of ITER.”, comments Anne-Isabelle Etienvre, Director of Fundamental Research at the CEA.

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a multinational fusion project in France aiming to prove that nuclear fusion can be a viable large-scale energy source. As the world’s largest fusion experiment, ITER is designed to confine and sustain superheated plasma, a critical step toward practical fusion power.

One step closer

Maintaining stable, long-duration plasmas is one of the biggest challenges in fusion research. The WEST experiment’s success provides valuable insights into plasma control and material durability, helping bring ITER closer to its goal of generating more energy than it consumes.

As promising as this is, there’s still a ways to go before we can truly say fusion power is in reach. Yet, if it does happen, it would be one of humankind’s most impressive scientific accomplishments.

Fusion energy can provide a nearly limitless source of clean, carbon-free power. Unlike fossil fuels, it doesn’t produce greenhouse gas emissions, and unlike fission, it generates minimal radioactive waste. While it won’t be a quick fix for the climate crisis, its long-term energy generating potential is extremely exciting