Imagine power lines that can carry massive amounts of electricity without losing energy as heat, similar to how a frictionless slide works. These cables are so powerful they remove the need for giant, expensive converter stations at sea. Some versions even act as a double-pipe, moving both electricity and liquid hydrogen fuel at the same time.
Renewable energy sites are often in remote areas, requiring expensive high-voltage converter stations and massive land use for transmission. Conventional cables suffer from energy loss and high installation costs in protected or urban areas.
Industrial-scale superconducting cables (HTS and MgB2) and a superconducting fault current limiter module. The project also developed designs for cables operating at 50 and 100 kVDC.
If you are a wind farm developer dealing with the high cost of offshore platforms — this project developed superconducting cables that eliminate the need for large converter stations. This can lead to a 15% reduction in total offshore windfarm costs.
If you are a grid operator dealing with limited underground space in crowded cities — this project developed compact HTS cables. These allow for high-power transmission with a much smaller footprint and lower environmental impact than conventional cables.
If you are a port operator dealing with the separate transport of fuel and power — this project developed MgB2 cables that move liquid hydrogen and electricity together. This allows for the transfer of 0.5 GW of H2 and 1 GW of electric energy in one system.
The technology aims for a 30% reduction in the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for offshore windfarm export cables and a 15% reduction in total windfarm costs.
Yes, the cables are being industrially manufactured using processes designed for multi-kilometre lengths.
Based on available project data, the project is preparing the ground for a standardisation framework to facilitate market penetration.
The system includes a high-current superconducting fault current limiter module designed specifically for grid protection.
The project runs until February 2028, with a long-term goal for consortium partners to install 90 GW of transmission capacity by 2050.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 8 industrial partners (including 4 SMEs) representing a 53% industry ratio. This strong commercial presence, combined with 5 research centers and 2 universities across 7 European countries, indicates a high focus on commercial viability and manufacturing scalability rather than pure academic research.
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