The populous nation with a colossal advantage from its industrial supply chain has established its own position in the race to dominate the “holy grail” of the clean energy sector.
In June, as countries around the world struggled against heatwaves and the impacts of climate change, scientists from the energy company Energy Singularity in Shanghai—the most populous city in China—achieved what they called a “shockwave explosion.”
They (Energy Singularity) successfully developed and manufactured the world’s first high-temperature superconducting tokamak (HTS) that produces plasma, demonstrating the potential of an “artificial sun” or nuclear fusion technology.
This could be a pivotal breakthrough in the fight against climate change while still generating sustainable energy.
Has China Found the “Holy Grail” of Clean Energy?
The HH70 tokamak device could ignite a global energy race (Photo: Energy Singularity).
Plasma is defined as the fourth state of matter, alongside the three basic forms: solid, liquid, and gas.
To create plasma, energy must be added to matter to convert it into an ionized state. This ionization process makes the gas electrically conductive, resulting in what is called plasma.
In the field of nuclear fusion, this is an extraordinary feat and far from simple.
In an interview, Guo Houyang, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Energy Singularity, emphasized: “The HH70 nuclear fusion power plant is smaller, cheaper, and constructed in a significantly shorter time than similar projects.”
“This is evidence of the strength of technology and the industrial supply chain, both of which are unique advantages of China,” Guo Houyang explained.
Some experts even argue that this event could mark a significant milestone for China and humanity in the quest for clean, cheap, and limitless energy sources.
In Christian belief, the holy grail is the treasured cup used by Jesus during the Last Supper, possessing special abilities to provide endless food and clean water to its holder.
For this reason, for thousands of years, humanity has sought this powerful cup, believing it holds immense strength and even the potential for immortality.
Inside the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor in Japan (Photo: SCMP).
In the energy sector, a similar search is underway among nations worldwide, as the “holy grail” of clean energy not only helps ensure energy needs and security for each nation but also serves as a crucial solution to address the ongoing global climate change.
As the first nation to achieve a significant breakthrough with the HH70 nuclear fusion power plant, China seems to have touched the “holy grail” of clean energy, establishing a leading position in the next clean energy race.
Technically, the HH70 is not the first or most powerful device of its kind. However, it is regarded by experts as a significant advancement in this field, as it provides crucial evidence and principles for future tokamak designs.
We all know that technology developers and race winners do not necessarily have to coincide.
In 2008, Tesla (USA) announced the world’s first electric vehicle. However, China is now clearly dominating the electric vehicle industry.
Why Does China Outperform Western Competitors?
Employees working on an assembly line inside a factory in China (Photo: CNBC).
Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association (FIA), has expressed concerns that the nuclear fusion sector may follow a similar model to the solar energy industry, where much of the technology is invented in the U.S. but production is dominated by China.
“Clearly, China has ambitions to do the same in both the supply chain and among developers. They have too great an advantage, and the U.S. needs to respond to this challenge,” Holland emphasized.
This is not an unfounded warning.
It’s evident in fields like photovoltaics or electric vehicle manufacturing, where the core technology does not originate from Chinese laboratories. Nevertheless, with strong production capabilities, Chinese companies have consistently made their products more competitive than their Western counterparts.
In other words, China genuinely leads the game when it comes to integrating technology development into real-world applications.
To explain a bit about nuclear fusion and its potential in the clean energy sector: we know that nuclear fission (splitting) separates atoms—like uranium—to generate energy. This process is currently used in nuclear power plants.
However, the opposite reaction, nuclear fusion (or thermonuclear reaction), is the priority of developed nations. This is because this process combines atoms to release a large amount of energy while simultaneously not producing long-lasting radioactive waste. This plays a crucial role in the fight against climate change.
HH70 is the world’s first tokamak to produce plasma flow (Photo: Energy Singularity).
This similar process has powered the sun for over 5 billion years and serves as a living proof of a sustainable way to generate energy. Hence, nuclear fusion is often referred to as an “artificial sun.”
However, to achieve fusion, hydrogen atoms must be heated to extremely high temperatures—over 100 million degrees Celsius—and contained long enough to merge into heavier atoms.
This challenge was so formidable that it was once considered a field of “science fiction.”
Nevertheless, in recent years, with advancements in science and technology, private companies and research organizations worldwide have been working to make nuclear fusion a reality.
Most efforts have focused on “magnetic confinement”, tasked with heating and compressing plasma in a gigantic reactor known as a tokamak. This model was invented by Soviet physicists in the 1950s.
But until now, the HH70 has completed this task, as it is the first tokamak in the world to produce plasma flow.
Although the success of the HH70 does not yet enable immediate energy production from nuclear fusion, related industries are ready for the next race.
Where Does Vietnam Stand in the Nuclear Energy Race?
The Da Lat Nuclear Reactor is the only facility in Vietnam that researches and produces radioactive products (Photo: Wikipedia).
Nuclear energy has many applications in research and socio-economic development. For this reason, many countries have restarted and focused resources in the field of nuclear energy.
Not outside this trend, Vietnam also has its own strengths with the nuclear reactor in Da Lat.
This is the first nuclear reactor in Southeast Asia, built by the U.S. in April 1961. After a period of inactivity, the reactor was restarted in 1984 with a nominal capacity of 500 kW.
Vietnam is also aiming to implement another project for a large-capacity nuclear reactor (specifically 10 MW) for research purposes, located in Long Khanh city, Dong Nai.
According to Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) has agreed with the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology on the cooperation and implementation methods to build, operate, and effectively exploit this project.
Previously, on June 19, the Russian Ambassador to Vietnam, Gennady Bezdetko, emphasized that they would provide Vietnam with the most modern technologies in the clean energy sector, with high reliability and stability.
This is seen as an opportunity opening the future for the nuclear power industry—a field that many Asian countries choose as an alternative to traditional energy sources—but Vietnam has yet to implement.
Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Photo: Ministry of Science and Technology).
In an interview, Dr. Tran Chi Thanh stated that although Vietnam faces many challenges, it is entirely possible for the country to catch up and become a potential player in the clean energy sector.
A significant advantage is that Vietnam is located next to China, one of the leading countries in this field. Additionally, Vietnam is politically stable, is among the rapidly developing countries, and has a foundation from its nuclear reactor that can be fully utilized.
“If we prioritize the development of the nuclear power industry, we can certainly achieve it,” affirmed Dr. Tran Chi Thanh. However, issues regarding construction costs, development policies, and the operation and management workforce will pose “headache” problems if Vietnam joins this field.
Notably, the issue of human resources is particularly concerning as Vietnam currently lacks a highly skilled engineering workforce capable of operating and implementing complex systems. Most of the well-trained individuals are either elderly or no longer in the workforce.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Vuong Huu Tan from the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute, the fundamental difference between nuclear power and other forms of thermal power is the requirement for ensuring nuclear safety, security, and the management of nuclear waste/radioactive waste.
Therefore, both the human factor and the system are incredibly important.
Nuclear energy produces electricity without generating CO2. This is a crucial leverage to neutralize carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change (Photo: AP).
“Countries developing nuclear power must pay attention to addressing these issues,” shared Associate Professor Dr. Vuong Huu Tan. “However, nuclear energy is necessary for our country, especially as the government has committed to achieving zero carbon by 2050.”
Looking at other countries in the region, many nations with similar or even lower development levels than Vietnam have begun to develop and manage nuclear power facilities safely.
Dr. Tran Chi Thanh mentioned that the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (Ministry of Science and Technology) is currently tasked with developing specialized groups in the field of reactor physics.
These areas include the design of horizontal channels, the production of radioactive isotopes, material research, silicon irradiation for semiconductors, activation analysis research, environmental protection, and nuclear safety.
Dr. Thanh stated that the current primary mission of nuclear reactors in Vietnam is the production of radioactive pharmaceuticals used in cancer treatment and diagnosis.
The processes from the reactor also provide various applications in medicine, agriculture, import and export of agricultural products, chip manufacturing, and more. These are all fields linked to socio-economic development and actual needs.
