Thursday, September 28 2006 17:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hefei (China): Chinese scientists Thursday successfully conducted the first test of an experimental thermonuclear fusion reactor, which replicates the same energy generation process that fuels the sun.

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion device, nicknamed "artificial sun", was tested at the Institute of Plasma Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei, capital of Anhui province.

EAST is an upgrade of China's first-generation Tokamak device and the first of its kind in operation in the world, said Chinese scientists.

Unlike traditional nuclear fission reactors, which split atoms to create energy and produce dangerous radioactive waste, EAST imitates the energy-producing process of the sun, generating energy and producing no greenhouse gas emissions and low levels of radioactive waste.

The reactor will provide a cheaper, safer, cleaner and endless energy resource, reducing the world's dependence on fossil fuels, said scientists.