South Korea Is Working on Technology for Artificial Sun to Reach 100 Million Degrees for 300 Seconds by 2026

By 2026, the Korean government intends to develop a technology that will allow Korea’s first artificial sun, KSTAR, to maintain 100 million degrees for 300 seconds. The minimum time required for the commercialization of nuclear fusion technology is 300 seconds.

On December 30, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that the 16th National Fusion Committee met at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy to finalize the ‘4th basic plan of nuclear fusion energy development (2022-2026).’ Every five years, the science ministry establishes the goals and directions of its policies for the development of nuclear fusion energy.

According to the plan, it will continue to improve operating technology in the field of KSTAR experiments, which have yielded impressive results such as maintaining 100 million degrees of ultra-high temperature plasma (for 30 seconds in 2021) and developing technology to maintain the temperature for 300 seconds by 2026.

The basic principle by which the artificial sun generates light and heat is nuclear fusion. The government’s goal with KSTAR is to artificially implement this principle on Earth in order to produce power such as electricity.

In 2018, a Korean research team was the first to successfully maintain KSTAR at 100 million degrees for 1.5 seconds. It also managed to keep the temperature at 100 million degrees for 20 seconds last year and 30 seconds this year. Following in the footsteps of last year, Korea has set the world record for the longest record this year.

The government also established basic demonstration concepts for future nuclear fusion power generation, as well as a plan to establish a ‘long-term R&D roadmap,’ including essential networks, by 2030.

It also chose the ‘eight-core technologies’ required to demonstrate future nuclear fusion power generation, such as high-temperature, long-time, and high-density core plasma technology and blanket technology to increase tritium and generate power. It intends to secure eight core technologies through R&D projects and systemic collaboration, and it plans to conduct preliminary concept design for the demonstration in 2023.