Should we figure out how to harness the power produced by nuclear fusion, it could provide a near-limitless source of clean energy. But the problem is that there's currently no cost-effective way to keep extremely hot plasma confined and stable long enough for fusion to take place. But maybe China's got that problem solved. The country's HL-2M tokamak might be the device that’s finally up for the challenge — or at least yields the clues needed to overcome it. Fusion physicist James Harrison, who isn’t involved with the project, told Newsweek, that “HL-2M will provide researchers with valuable data on the compatibility of high-performance fusion plasmas with approaches to more effectively handle the heat and particles exhausted from the core of the device.” A scientist working on the project, Duan Xuru, has stated that construction is going smoothly and that the device should be operational in 2020.