France has upped the ante in the quest for fusion power by maintaining a plasma reaction for over 22 minutes - a new record.
The milestone was reached at the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) WEST Tokamak reactor.
Achieving the dream of commercial fusion power is the Holy Grail of engineering and has been for decades. With a single gram of hydrogen isotopes yielding the energy equivalent of 11 tonnes of coal, a practical fusion reactor would hold the promise of unlimited, clean energy for humanity until the end of time.
There is a common adage in the power industry: “Fusion power is always just 10 years away.” However, progress in harnessing fusion is unquestionable, and, if commercial fusion is achieved, the current generation is likely to see a total revolution in energy in their lifetimes.
Small wonder that billions have been invested by both government and industry in the quest to make fusion power a reality. However, while fusion is relatively easy to achieve in the heart of the sun or in a hydrogen bomb, creating a practical reactor that produces more energy than is put into it is another matter entirely.
The CEA plasma reaction has gone 25 percent beyond what China achieved in January 2025 with 1,066 seconds. In the latest test, the WEST Tokamak held its reaction for 1,337 seconds. Hopefully, it will not be too long until records are described in hours and minutes.
The purpose of the test wasn't just to keep the plasma reaction going like a stage performer spinning plates. It was also to keep the reaction stable without the components in the reactor facing the plasma becoming eroded or polluted, or malfunctioning. It was successful onthese points too.
Though WEST will never become a true commercial reactor, the information gathered there will be used to improve more ambitious machines, like the giant International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) being built in the south of France.