Nuclear fusion power is just 6 years away, says China’s top weapons scientist

‘Fusion ignition is the jewel in the crown of science and technology in today’s world,’ says professor

A Z-Pulse machine, like this one pictured at Sandia National Laboratory in the US, can generate huge electric pulses (WikiCommons)

China hopes to generate near-limitless clean energy through nuclear fusion power within the next six years, according to a leading nuclear weapons scientist in the country.

Professor Peng Xianjue from the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics told a meeting held by Beijing-based think tank Techxcope that the Chinese government had approved construction of the world’s largest pulsed-power plant in Chengdu in the Sichuan province.

“Fusion ignition is the jewel in the crown of science and technology in today’s world,” Professor Peng said, according to the South China Morning Post, who first reported the announcement.