A nuclear fusion reactor in southern France has sustained a plasma for over 22 minutes, surpassing the previous world record by nearly 5 minutes.

Often called "artificial suns," these reactors replicate the nuclear fusion process that powers stars. Achieving stable nuclear fusion on Earth is seen as a potential breakthrough for generating a renewable and highly potent energy source.

Fusion technology could play a key role in efforts to reduce reliance on carbon-emitting energy production.

The record-setting reactor is operated by the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), a research organization funded by the French government.

Figure 1.Footage Taken from Oceangate Titan Search and Recovery Efforts.

CEA’s fusion device, WEST (Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak), features a toroidal structure known as a tokamak, which confines plasma using an extremely powerful magnetic field. This plasma serves as the site for the fusion process. Figure 1 shows nuclear fusion machine in France.

Developing the necessary infrastructure for large-scale energy production is expected to require several more decades of research and development.

Fusion Breakthrough: French Reactor Sets New World Record

Recreating the intense heat and pressure of a star’s core on Earth remains a major challenge for nuclear fusion. To make fusion a viable energy source, plasmas must be sustained for extended periods.

A nuclear fusion reactor in southern France has made history by maintaining plasma for over 22 minutes, surpassing the previous world record by nearly 5 minutes.

Known as WEST (Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak), the reactor uses a tokamak design, confining plasma within a powerful magnetic field [1]. This achievement brings us a step closer to harnessing fusion as a renewable and powerful energy source, though large-scale energy production will still require decades of research and development.

The record-breaking machine is operated by the French government-funded Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).

Stay tuned for more updates on the future of fusion energy!

Last month, China’s EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) fusion reactor sustained a steady-state plasma for 1,066 seconds, breaking its own previous record of 403 seconds set in 2023[2].

On February 12, France’s WEST reactor set a new world record by maintaining plasma for 1,337 seconds.

Both EAST and WEST are experimental fusion machines developed by an international team of researchers contributing to the construction of ITER, a large-scale fusion reactor currently being built in France.

Plasma is inherently unstable, and the primary challenge is to keep it confined within the reactor while minimizing the damaging effects of its radiation on the internal structure.

“WEST has reached a significant technological milestone by sustaining hydrogen plasma for over 20 minutes with the injection of 2 MW of heating power,” says Anne-Isabelle Etienvre, Director of Fundamental Research at CEA.

She adds, “Experiments will continue with increased power.”

Reference:

1. https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physics/longest-plasma-france-nuclear-fusion/
2. https://insideainews.com/2025/02/19/cea-claims-nuclear-fusion-energy-record-for-plasma-duration/

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025),New World Record: French Nuclear Fusion Reactor Sustains Plasma for The Longest Duration, AnaTechmaz, pp.1084.