THE world’s first distribution-voltage superconductor cable system utilising second generation superconductor wire has been energised at the I’cheon substation near Seoul, South Korea.
The announcement was made by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), LS Cable & System and American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC).
The 22.9kV alternating current (AC) cable system can carry approximately 50 megawatts of power, and is powered by AMSC Amperium superconductor wire.
Besides being the first cable in the world utilising second generation (2G) superconductor wire to be energized in the grid, it is currently the longest distribution voltage superconductor power cable in operation.
AC superconductor power cable systems can conduct up to 10 times the amount of power of conventional cables made with copper wire. They can be placed strategically in urban power grids to deliver more power than conventional cables in the same right-of-way to mitigate grid congestion or can be used to replace overhead lines.
Amperium wire is manufactured via a proprietary process at AMSC’s headquarters in Devens, Massachusetts.
The wire can be used to increase efficiency and reduce the size and weight of a wide variety of applications, including power cables, motors, generators and defense systems.