Shanghai Electric Cable expands alliance with AMSC

Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute (SECRI) has expanded its strategic alliance with American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) with its new order for high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire.

AMSC announced it has received the new order for HTS wire which SECRI will use to develop and manufacture a 30 meter long, 35 kilovolt (kV) cable system. Aside from delivering HTS wire to SECRI, AMSC will also provide consulting services to the research institute under the terms of the expanded strategic alliance. The cable system will be developed by SECRI with support from the local Shanghai government.

"In addition to the transmission voltage superconductor cables we have been developing, we now are developing distribution voltage superconductor cable systems for the Chinese market," said Wei Dong, SECRI’s General Manager. "We are confident that our continued successful cooperation with AMSC will enable rapid adoption of superconductor cable systems. We expect the first superconductor cable deployment in China’s power grid system to occur early in the next decade and that this will lead to widespread adoption of superconductor cables throughout China," added Wei Dong.

SECRI and AMSC first formed a strategic business alliance in 2006 to develop and promote the use of superconductor power transmission cables in China. AMSC and SECRI are now broadening their relationship to include distribution voltage cables. The two firms will jointly work to develop the Chinese market for SECRI’s cable designs and cable manufacturing equipment expertise as well as AMSC’s HTS wire.

"We are pleased that SECRI continues to work together with AMSC to modernise China’s power grid through the use of superconductor technology," said AMSC Superconductors’ General Manager Dan McGahn. "SECRI is one of China’s most respected power cable authorities and is a leader in advanced cable designs and technologies. We both see superconductor cables playing a pivotal role in distributing power in densely populated metropolitan centers such as Shanghai where a premium is placed both on space and power quality."

SECRI is a leading research, development and standardisation institution for China’s wire and cable industry. It is one of two centers that test and certify power cables for China. AMSC, an energy technologies company, offers an array of proprietary technologies and solutions spanning the electric power infrastructure – from generation to delivery to end use. The company also offers a host of Smart Grid technologies for power grid operators that enhance the reliability, efficiency and capacity of the grid, and seamlessly integrate renewable energy sources into the power infrastructure.