The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) responded to the recent surge in private sector fusion energy development by hosting the inaugural Private Sector Fusion Workshop at its headquarters in France from May 27th to 29th. Tan Yi, Chief Scientist of Startorus Fusion, representing a Chinese private fusion energy development company, was invited to the event and shared the company's technical roadmap and research and development progress.
As the largest international scientific collaboration project and the largest magnetic confinement fusion device in human history, ITER possesses the richest experience and most valuable lessons in nuclear fusion technology, engineering, and management. Through this workshop, the ITER organization aims to understand the technical roadmaps, research and development progress of fusion energy development companies worldwide, and the assistance they require from ITER. The goal is to strengthen communication and cooperation with fusion energy development companies and jointly promoting fusion research and development. Over 350 scientists, engineers, and managers from more than 30 global commercial fusion companies, as well as relevant personnel from the ITER organization, including the Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, participated in the forum. They shared experiences, achievements, and challenges and explored possibilities for future collaboration.
The rapid progress of Startorus Fusion attracts numerous participants engaged in discussions and exchanges with Tan Yi
Tan Yi introduced that Startorus Fusion adopts a compact and repeated magnetic reconnection-based technical approach to controlled fusion, highlighting its simplicity, efficiency, and economic advantages. He elaborated on several significant milestones achieved by the company over the past two years, including site transformation, spherical tokamak construction, first plasma, magnetic reconnection heating, and multi-pulse repetitive operation. He also discussed the prototype of a D-shaped high-temperature superconducting magnet with a magnetic field strength of up to 18T.
Tan Yi's presentation showcased the strong execution capability and rapid driving force of Startorus Fusion, demonstrating the speed of fusion energy development in China. Top international counterparts, investment institutions, and fusion energy industry organizations from Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe expressed great interest in Startorus Fusion's technical route and were amazed by its research and development progress and speed. Participants held high expectations for the future of fusion energy development in China and expressed their desire to collaborate with Chinese counterparts to drive profound changes in the global energy landscape.
