The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) - also called 'artificial sun' - has achieved the milestone of 1,006 seconds of operations for sustained plasma temperature above 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius).
The 'artificial sun' is now capable of replicating the operational environment of a future nuclear fusion power plant, as per Chinese scientists.
China says it is a world record for the experimental device which is part of China's 'artificial sun' project - which aims to make nuclear fusion reactors a commercial reality.
The breakthrough achieved on Monday has surpassed the situations needed for future nuclear fusion reactors, as per China.
As per a release by the State Council Information Office of China, the 1,000-second benchmark is considered an important step in nuclear fusion research.
The success has been achieved by the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province.
It surpasses the earlier record set by EAST itself in 2023 - when the 'artificial sun' ran for 403 seconds non-stop. Prior to this, the record stood at 101 seconds, which was achieved in May 2021.
Nuclear fusion, which is the source of the energy released from the Sun is considered the ultimate energy source even on Earth since the process does not create any carbon emissions or radioactive material as a by-product.
When hydrogen atoms are superheated to temperatures above 180 million degrees Fahrenheit, the resulting plasma creates conditions that allow the atoms to merge and form helium, releasing vast amounts of energy during this process.
The 180 million degrees Fahrenheit is essential for successfully generating electricity, along with stable long-term operation, and ensuring controllability in nuclear fusion devices.
"A fusion device must achieve stable operation at high efficiency for thousands of seconds to enable the self-sustaining circulation of plasma, which is critical for the continuous power generation of future fusion plants," said Song Yuntao, ASIPP director, as per a report by China's state news agency Xinhua.
As per the release, several EAST systems have been upgraded since the last round of experiments. One of these is the heating system, which earlier used to operate at the equivalent of nearly 70,000 household microwave ovens. It has now doubled its power output.
The final goal of the 'artificial sun' is to create nuclear fusion like the sun to provide an endless, clean energy source. It also aims to provide systems needed for space exploration beyond the solar system.
China joined the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program in 2006 as its seventh member. Beijing is responsible for approximately 9 percent of the project's construction, and ASIPP is the main unit of its mission.
ITER, which is being built in southern France, will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics experiment device and the largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor, once completed.
The achievements of EAST will contribute towards the ITER and China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR).
"We hope to expand international collaboration via EAST and bring fusion energy into practical use for humanity," said Song.