China has just built the world's largest nuclear fusion magnet: 582 tons to trap its artificial sun

The Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said it has validated a 582-ton superconducting toroidal magnet.

It is the largest magnet ever built for a fusion reactor and exceeds the comparable ITER component in size and capability.

The work is part of China’s CRAFT program in Hefei, alongside tests of a high-temperature central solenoid.

The magnet is crucial for confining ultra-hot plasma without letting it touch the reactor walls, a key step toward fusion power.

The milestone strengthens China’s position in the global fusion race, where no project has yet produced net electricity from fusion.