New superconducting cable sets records for power transmission

La Spezia (Italy), 5th July 2018 - Today major cable and wire manufacturers, including Nexans and Columbus Superconductors, together with transmission system operators such as Terna and Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE), disclosed the results of ground-breaking research on a superconducting cable system. The technological solutions for superconducting wires are setting new records. They are able to carry 500 times more electricity than copper wires and can transport up to 3.2 GW of electric power. The experts of 10 European countries designed a cable system that includes high-voltage insulations and terminations. These results were presented to 60 participants at an international workshop in La Spezia, hosted by ASG Superconductors and co-organised by Nexans and IASS Potsdam. The breakthroughs were achieved within Demonstration No 5 of Best Paths, the largest research project funded by the European Union in the energy field in the last decade.