|
New
Release -- Superconductor Week does not edit or endorse the following
news release:
American Superconductor
Accelerates Manufacturing Plan for Commercial Second Generation (2G) High
Temperature Superconductor Wire
Westborough, MA, Mar. 23:
American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq:
AMSC), a leading
energy technologies company, today announced that it is accelerating its
commercial manufacturing plan for second generation (2G) high temperature
superconductor (HTS) wire based on meeting certain manufacturing benchmarks in
its 2G pilot manufacturing operation. The Company said that it expects to more
than double its planned annual wire manufacturing capacity for 2G HTS wires
known as "344 superconductors" to 720,000 meters in December 2007. The increase
in capacity will not require an increase in capital expenditures. AMSC's
previously published manufacturing roadmap for 344 superconductors had called
for an annual capacity of 300,000 meters of 344 superconductors per year in
December 2007 based on capital expenditures for full scale manufacturing
equipment of $10 million to $15 million. The company said it now expects to
spend approximately $12 million to $14 million total on manufacturing equipment
to achieve the higher production capacity of 720,000 meters of wire per year.
"This increase in manufacturing capacity is possible because we are improving
the rates of throughput for some of the new full-scale manufacturing equipment
utilized in our 2G pilot manufacturing operation," said Greg Yurek, AMSC's chief
executive officer. "Novel processing changes based on advances in our
fundamental understanding of the materials science and processing of 2G HTS
materials are at the core of these improvements. This is highly encouraging. As
a result, we expect to be able to push virtually all of our manufacturing steps
to higher rates of throughput in the future."
Yurek noted that AMSC's 2G team has also developed processing methodologies that
are expected to increase the electrical performance of the company's 344
superconductors significantly above earlier forecasts. "The net result of
increases in manufacturing throughput as well as increases in electrical
performance of 344 superconductors is expected to be a reduction in the
price-performance ratio of these wires to levels equivalent to that of copper
wire before the end of the decade," he said.
"Achieving equivalency to copper's price-performance ratio is significant
because it enables the adoption of superconductor products economically, thereby
providing access to the dramatic applications benefits of HTS wire, such as high
electrical efficiency and high power density," said Yurek. "High electrical
efficiency and power density -- which is simply more power capability in a
smaller package -- are significant advantages in electrical systems such as ship
propulsion motors, power cables and many other large- scale electrical systems.
Crossing the price-performance threshold is very important and is now within
sight."
Price-Performance Ratios of Electrical Conductors
The price-performance ratio of a conductor such as copper wire or 344
superconductors is the price per unit length of the conductor, usually in
dollars per meter ($/meter), divided by the amount of electrical current -- or
"performance" -- measured in kilo-Amperes (kAmp) carried over the meter length.
For example, the price-performance ratio of the copper conductor used in
underground power transmission cables (using current copper spot prices of over
$2.00 per pound) is presently in the range of $30/kAmp-meter to $65/kAmp-meter,
depending upon the size and the Ampacity of the power cable. Most analysts
anticipate that the price of copper will continue to remain at relatively high
values for many years to come due in large part to very high demand for copper
to support the expanding economies of countries such as India and China, and due
to the generally limited supply of copper. The price of copper has more than
doubled during the last 12 months.
Return
to industry news releases |
