TIANGONG INT'L (00826) wins bid for BEST vacuum vessel lower port shielding system (powder metallurgy high-boron steel) project

Recently, Jiangsu Tiangong Aihe Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of TIANGONG INT'L Limited (00826), successfully won the public tender for the "Vacuum Vessel Lower Port Shielding System (Powder Metallurgy High-Boron Steel)" project with a bid of RMB2.376 million. This marks Tiangong's powder metallurgy high-boron steel officially moving from material R&D into the stage of component supply for nuclear fusion devices. The tendering party, Fusion New Energy (Anhui) Co., Ltd., is precisely the construction and procurement entity for BEST (Compact Fusion Energy Experimental Device), and Tiangong's winning bid directly serves this major national project. The BEST device is China's self-developed next-generation fusion energy burning experimental device, aimed at simulating the nuclear fusion reaction inside the sun on Earth and verifying the engineering feasibility of controllable fusion commercial power generation. Compared with the traditional International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), BEST follows a "compact high-field" technical route: the main machine diameter is reduced to 18 meters, with a total weight of about 6,000 tons and a volume only one-quarter that of ITER, but by adopting high-temperature superconducting magnets to greatly increase magnetic field strength, the fusion power density is significantly enhanced. This route aims to bridge the gap from scientific experiments to engineering applications first, with lower construction costs and a more compact device scale. According to the plan, the BEST device aims to complete overall construction by the end of 2027 and conduct deuterium-tritium fusion power generation demonstrations around 2030. At present, the construction of the main machine has entered the critical "four-ring assembly" stage, that is, starting from the innermost vacuum vessel and successively assembling outward the cold shield, toroidal field magnets, and internal precision components. The "Vacuum Vessel Lower Port Shielding System" that Tiangong won this time is precisely the key neutron shielding component in the vacuum vessel port area. The BEST vacuum vessel has 16 lower inclined ports, and the port areas require reliable neutron shielding materials to ensure operational safety and surrounding environmental dose control. Powder metallurgy high-boron steel, with its balance of neutron absorption capability brought by high boron content and engineering strength and toughness, has become an ideal candidate material for this location. For Tiangong, BEST is not only an order, but also a key platform for completing component-level verification of its powder metallurgy high-boron steel material on a real fusion device. If the product performs stably in the BEST construction, it will accumulate valuable engineering track record for subsequent entry into the CFEDR (China Fusion Engineering Demonstration Reactor) supply chain.