HEFEI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is accelerating the transition of its nuclear fusion program from fundamental research to large-scale engineering, as construction of the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) gains momentum.

The project hopes to demonstrate net fusion power gain and electricity generation by around 2030, a milestone often described as lighting humanity's "first nuclear-fusion-powered lamp." The update was released at the Fusion Energy Technology and Industry Conference 2026, which opened on Friday in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, home to the BEST facility.

A keynote speech at the opening ceremony noted that global fusion development is approaching a historic turning point, from scientific exploration to energy demonstration. The BEST project is designed to achieve net fusion power gain and to demonstrate fusion-based electricity generation by 2030.

Fusion energy, often hailed as the ideal "ultimate energy source," seeks to replicate the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun. Unlike previous fusion experimental devices, BEST is designed to demonstrate actual "burning" of deuterium-tritium plasma. Upon completion, the facility is expected to demonstrate fusion electricity generation for the first time in history.

Globally, countries including the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom are accelerating the construction of fusion power plants or demonstration projects, with many targeting fusion electricity generation before 2040.

China's fusion research program is widely regarded as being at the forefront of global efforts. Its Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) has repeatedly set world records, while Chinese teams have delivered multiple key procurement packages for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), contributing significantly to global fusion engineering and development.

The conference also announced plans to construct a "Fusion City" in Changfeng County, Hefei. The proposed fusion science and innovation demonstration zone will integrate research campuses, industrial clusters and supporting residential facilities, anchored by major engineering projects.