World-first super magnet breakthrough key to commercial nuclear fusion

UK-based Tokamak Energy has achieved a world-first breakthrough by successfully replicating fusion power plant magnetic fields within its Demo4 system, marking the first full High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnet configuration to do so. The Demo4 system generated magnetic field strengths of 11.8 Tesla at -243°C, handling seven million ampere-turns of current through its central column. This milestone validates a critical technical solution for commercial fusion energy, demonstrating system-level performance in a complex magnetic environment akin to that in operational fusion reactors. The system includes 14 toroidal and two poloidal field magnets, enabling engineers to study fusion-relevant forces and gain confidence in scaling HTS technology for future energy-producing fusion plants. Beyond fusion, the breakthrough highlights the broader commercial potential of HTS materials, which offer about 200 times the current density of copper and can be used in power distribution, electric motors for zero-emission flight, and magnetic levitation transport. These magnets are smaller, lighter, and