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World’s first power transmission cable made
with 2G HTS wire has been tested successfully by AMSC and Nexans
- Testing completed on
138kV Nexans cable powered by AMSC’s 344 superconductors
- Results pave the way
for commercial superconductor power cables based on 2G HTS Wire
Westborough, MA/Paris, 9 May
2007: American
Superconductor Corporation, a leading energy technologies company, and
Nexans, the worldwide leader in the cable industry, have tested successfully the
world’s first power transmission cable made with second generation (2G) high
temperature superconductor (HTS) wire. The cable was produced by Nexans
utilizing AMSC’s proprietary 2G HTS wire known as “344 superconductors.”
The 30 metre-long transmission
voltage cable was tested successfully at Nexans’ high-voltage facility in
Hannover, Germany. Operated at 138 kV, the cable contained only 33 hair-thin
344 superconductors, yet it demonstrated the capability to transmit 435 MVA of
power – enough electricity to power over 250,000 homes. This rating is
approximately 50 per cent higher than conventional cables at the same voltage
level.
“The demonstration of a power
transmission cable that utilizes AMSC’s proprietary 344 superconductors is an
important milestone and paves the way for large-scale, commercial utility
projects,” said Greg Yurek, founder and CEO of AMSC. “We have achieved
commercial-grade electrical performance with our 344 superconductors, and have
proved that our manufacturing methodologies are on the way to achieving cost
targets that are expected to enable broad application of this technology in
power grids.”
This demonstration confirms
that 344 superconductors are a drop-in replacement for the first generation HTS
wire that has been utilized to manufacture all prototype HTS power cables
worldwide over the past 10 years. AMSC said it expects to initiate volume
production of 344 superconductors in December 2007 to meet the expected demand
for HTS wire for power cables and other applications. High-capacity
superconductor power cables are expected to be utilized first in cities and
metropolitan areas, where demand for electricity continues to grow and is
putting pressure on existing power grids.
“Nexans has always been
committed to providing the utility industry with advanced technologies, and HTS
power cables are among our most promising offerings,” said Pascal Portevin,
Executive Vice President, Strategic Operations. “The ability to carry a large
amount of electricity through small corridors is incredibly appealing for urban
and metropolitan power grids. Making the transition from first generation to
second generation HTS wire proved to be seamless for our cable manufacturing
team, and we are very happy with the cable’s performance. Based on these
results and the anticipated success of the first generation138kV HTS cable
system we are installing with AMSC in the commercial grid of Long Island Power
Authority, we are clearly on a path to finalize development and introduce HTS
cables made with 344 superconductors in utility power grids.”
This first HTS transmission
cable made with 344 superconductors was privately financed by Nexans and AMSC to
demonstrate that they are a form, fit and function replacement for AMSC’s first
generation HTS wire, and the project has confirmed they could be used readily in
the production of power transmission cables employing the same manufacturing
techniques developed for cables made with first generation wire.
AMSC’s 344 superconductors
were designed as a drop-in replacement for customers currently using 1G HTS
wire. The 344 superconductors comprise 2G HTS wire clad with ultra-thin strips
of copper or stainless steel. 344 superconductors offer significantly higher
power density and efficiency compared with similar copper-based wire products.
As a result, electrical systems that incorporate HTS wire are dramatically
smaller, lighter and more cost effective than comparable systems based on copper
wire. The applications for HTS wire include power transmission and distribution
cables, propulsion motors and generators, degaussing cable systems, synchronous
condensers and fault current limiters. For more information about AMSC’s HTS
products, please visit:
http://www.amsuper.com/products/htsWire/2GWireTechnology.cfm .
About Nexans
With energy cables as
its core, Nexans, the worldwide leader in the cable industry, offers an
extensive range of cables (copper, aluminum and optical fiber) and cabling
systems. The Group’s strategy is focused on infrastructure, industrial and
building markets. Nexans develops solutions for industry sectors such as
shipbuilding, oil and gas, nuclear, automotive, electronics, aeronautics,
handling and automation and includes an offering dedicated to public and private
(local area) telecommunications networks.
With an industrial presence in
more than 30 countries and commercial activities worldwide, Nexans employs
21,000 people and had sales in 2006 of 7.5 billion euros. Nexans is listed on
the Paris stock exchange, compartment A of the Eurolist of Euronext. More
information on
http://www.nexans.com
About AMSC
AMSC (American Superconductor
Corporation - NASDAQ: AMSC) is a leading energy technologies company. The
company develops and sells a wide range of products and solutions based on power
electronic systems and high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires that
dramatically improve the efficiency, reliability and quality of electricity
during its generation, transmission, distribution and use. The company is a
dominant force in alternative energy, offering grid interconnection solutions as
well as licensed wind energy designs and electrical systems. As the world's
principal supplier of HTS wire, AMSC is enabling a new generation of compact,
high-power electrical products, including motors, generators, power cables,
grid-level surge protectors, and advanced transportation and defense systems.
AMSC also provides utility and industrial customers worldwide with voltage
regulation systems that dramatically enhance power grid capacity, reliability
and security, as well as industrial productivity. The company's technologies
are protected by a broad and deep intellectual property portfolio consisting of
hundreds of patents and licenses worldwide. More information is available at
www.amsuper.com .
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