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
Federal 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 € 13.5 million,
including the financial support provided by the federal
government in the amount of approx. € 6.3 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."
Dr. Arndt Neuhaus (middle), CEO RWE Deutschland AG, presents the "AmpaCity" project today to the public.
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. From a present perspective, it is planned 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. What
is more, 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.
RWE Deutschland AG
RWE Deutschland AG, based in Essen, is responsible for the
German sales and distribution grid operations as well as
natural gas storage facilities for the RWE Group in the
electricity, gas and water segments. It manages RWE's
regional companies in Germany and also develops innovations
in the field of energy efficiency, including e-mobility and
smart grids. RWE Deutschland has interests in around 70
regional and municipal energy utilities and has a workforce
of approx. 21,000 employees.
Nexans Deutschland
Nexans Deutschland ranks among Europe's leading cable
manufacturers. The company offers a wide range of
high-performance cables, systems and components for
telecommunications and the energy sector. The programme is
rounded off by superconducting materials, components and
systems as well as Cryoflex transfer systems and
special-purpose machinery for the cable industry. The
company has manufacturing operations at home and abroad
with approx. 7, 260 employees. Revenues in 2010 totalled
approx. € 810 million. Through its close integration into
the Nexans group, Nexans Deutschland has excellent
opportunities to leverage synergies in all group segments.
This is true not only for global projects, but also for
research and development, know-how exchange, etc. More
detailed information is available from www.nexans.de
Karlsruhe Institute for Technology
The Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) is a
public-sector entity under the laws of the state of
Baden-Wurttemberg. It fulfils both the mission of a
university and the mission of a national research centre
within the Helmholtz community. The KIT pursues its tasks
in the knowledge triangle of research - teaching -
innovation. More information is available from
www.kit.edu
Project sponsor Jülich (PTJ)
Being a source of expertise in research and innovation
management, the project sponsor Jülich supports its clients
at federal and state level as well as the European
Commission in meeting their research-policy targets,
especially by way of sponsoring projects. Project
sponsoring enables the public sector to place a strong
emphasis on research. (http://www.ptj.de)
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