AsianFin -- China plans to commercialize nuclear fusion technology for emissions-free power generation by 2050, according to the country’s state-owned nuclear company.

China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), which operates an experimental device known as the "artificial sun," aims to begin commercial operations of its first fusion-based power generation project approximately five years after a demonstration phase, expected to begin around 2045, the company announced in a media briefing on Friday.

The country has recently ramped up efforts to achieve nuclear fusion, a process that powers the sun and other stars, offering a nearly infinite source of clean energy. However, sustained and usable nuclear fusion has proven extremely difficult to achieve, with only a few countries, including the US, Russia, and South Korea, successfully mastering the fundamentals.

Last year, CNNC formed an industry alliance and established China Fusion Corp., a new national fusion company. The venture has secured approximately 1.75 billion yuan ($240 million) in investment from CNNC and Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. to develop advanced tokamak devices, which use magnetic fields to contain and control superheated plasma, producing power without emissions or significant radioactive waste.