American Superconductor Corporation announced at DistribuTECH an order from Nexans, for high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire to be used in a superconductor fault current limiter (SFCL). The SFCL will act as a surge protector at "AmpaCity," a project being undertaken by Nexans, RWE Group, one of Europe's electricity and gas companies, and the German research institute KIT. AmpaCity aims to replace inner-city high-voltage equipment with superconductor systems. Medium voltage superconductor systems uniquely provide an alternative to conventional high voltage installations.

The SFCL will provide overload protection to a superconductor cable, lowering the fault current levels, and allowing for a safe and reliable interconnection to the grid. The complete HTS system, comprising of a cable and SFCL, will be manufactured by Nexans. The SFCL will employ AMSC's Amperium(R) superconductor wire.