An MgB₂ HVDC Superconducting Cable for Power Transmission with a Reduced Carbon Footprint

Abstract

Superconducting power cables represent a recent innovative development for high-capacity underground transmission. They are set to join the portfolio of technologies that will be needed to accommodate the growing demands on electricity grids. These demands are brought about in particular by the rising amount of renewable energy and the increase in decentralized power generation. The promise of superconducting electric cables lies principally in their small size, with potential advantages in terms of environmental impact, efficiency and public acceptance. The advantages of superconductivity have been acknowledged by the European Commission with its funding of BEST PATHS (an acronym for “BEyond State-of-the-art Technologies for rePowering Ac corridors and multi-Terminal HVDC Systems”), a collaborative project on energy transmission that includes a superconducting power transmission line as one of its five constituent demonstrators. Coordinated by leading cable manufacturer Nexans, the superconducting demonstrator brings together transmission system operators, industry, and research organizations with the aim of validating the MgB₂ technology for power transfer higher than 3 GW. In order to investigate the technological maturity of superconducting HVDC links, a monopole cable system based on MgB₂ wires and operating in helium gas at 10 kA and 320 kV will be developed and tested in accordance with international practices. In addition to the design, development, optimization, manufacturing and testing activities, special attention will be devoted to studying the integration of a superconducting link into the future transmission grid and to assessing the availability and economic viability of the system. An overview of the project will be presented at the conference, including the main tasks and challenges ahead as well as preliminary results after the first year of activity.