State-backed Chinese fusion vehicle with $2.1 billion registered capital — tasked with bridging the EAST tokamak and CFETR engineering reactor into commercial power.
China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd. (CFEC) is a state-owned enterprise established in July 2025 as a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Registered in Shanghai with a capital of 15 billion yuan (approximately $2.1 billion), CFEC represents the institutional vehicle through which China intends to accelerate the commercialization of magnetic confinement fusion energy.[1]
CFEC was created by renaming an existing CNNC subsidiary, China Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd., to reflect a reorientation toward fusion energy development. The company is positioned as a platform for both technological research and capital operations, collaborating with academic institutions, state-owned enterprises, and other partners in China's fusion energy sector. Its formation is part of a broader state commitment that has allocated an estimated $6.5–13 billion across fusion infrastructure, R&D, and commercialization since 2023.[2]
CFEC's roadmap is anchored by two major national programs. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), operated by the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), serves as the primary research device for long-pulse, steady-state plasma operations. EAST has achieved plasma durations exceeding 1,000 seconds at temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius, establishing records for sustained tokamak operation.[3]
The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is a planned next-step superconducting tokamak designed to bridge the gap between ITER and a demonstration power plant. CFETR targets steady-state operation with fusion power of 200 MW in its first phase and 1 GW in its second phase, with tritium self-sufficiency through a breeding blanket. First plasma is targeted for the early 2030s.[2]
Supporting CFETR development is the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT), a large-scale engineering test platform that validates key subsystems including superconducting magnets, tritium handling, plasma-facing components, and remote maintenance technologies.[3]