Essen to pioneer new superconductor link for electricity transmission
30 Jan 2012
Essen, Germany – The city of Essen will be the pioneer for a new chapter of inner-city electricity distribution for the future: in 2013, the currently longest high-temperature superconductor cable (HTS cable) in the world will be buried underground here.
The “AmpaCity” project was presented to the public today. Project partners are RWE Deutschland AG, Nexans as manufacturer of cables and cable systems, the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) and the project sponsor Jülich (PTJ).
High-temperature superconductor cables (HTS cable) are based on ceramics. When cooled down to about minus 200 degrees Celsius they can transport electricity almost without any losses.
The “AmpaCity” project will be sponsored by the German ministry of economics and technology ((BMWi) given its special benefits and the prospects of superconductors for electricity distribution in the future.
The total costs of the research project amount to some Euro13.5 million, including the financial support provided by the federal government in the amount of around Euro6.3 million.
The conventional 110,000 volt lines between two substations in Essen’s city centre will be replaced by a modern 10,000 volt superconductor cable over a length of one kilometre.
Superconductors are regarded as forward-looking solution for space-saving and particularly efficient transmission of electricity in urban areas. Dr. Joachim Schneider, executive board member of RWE Deutschland: “Superconductors are going to play an important role for energy supply in cities. We are very proud to be among the frontrunners with this pioneering project.”
The detailed planning of the project will start in the next few months. This includes determining the exact route of the cable link. This will go hand in hand with design optimisation and prototype tests on the premises of the manufacturer; Nexans intends to manufacture the compact superconductor cable system late in 2012, which will be developed specifically for the application in the city centre.
The project partners plan to commission and integrate the superconducting cable into the electricity grid of Essen by the end of November 2013.
Superconductors are based on ceramics. When cooled down to about minus 200 degrees Celsius they can transport electricity almost without any losses. As a result, their energy efficiency is superior to conventional cables.
The installation of one superconductor cable section can replace up to five parallel conventional 10,000 V cables or 110,000/10,000 volt substations because superconductors can also transmit larger power volumes at small voltage. This creates space and makes sites available at expensive inner-city locations.
The superconductor cable for the field trial in the distribution grid of RWE Deutschland is produced by Nexans, one of the world’s leading suppliers of cables and cable systems. The Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) will support the project scientifically by optimising suitable superconducting and insulating materials.
According to experts, the large-scale use of superconductors will be economically viable in just a few years. A study of the project partners determined the benefits which are now to be confirmed in the field at Essen.
