SuperNode announces positive step forward in its pursuit of ground-breaking superconducting transmission cables with ESB Network’s successful electrical upgrade at its European Cryogenic Centre for Superconductors (ECCS). This enhancement comes at a pivotal time and allows SuperNode to deploy higher power equipment and accelerate the development of its innovative superconducting cables. SuperNode’s cables will deliver bulk power with zero electrical losses, and reduced costs and environmental footprint and will be a key enabling technology of the renewable energy transition.
The upgrade is a timely response to growing energy demands and ambitious technological goals.
John Fitzgerald, CEO of SuperNode, expressed his enthusiasm about the progress: “SuperNode’s electrical upgrade comes at an important time in our growth, enabling us to operate our specialist equipment to take our superconducting technology through to the next stage of technology development. Our superconducting cables will revolutionise the energy landscape by delivering unobtrusive, bulk power transfer at reduced costs, and with significantly smaller environmental footprints.”
The ECCS is key to SuperNode’s research and innovation efforts and this strategic enhancement, carried out by ESB Networks enables the necessary capacity for SuperNode to deploy its full range of high-power test equipment, without any limitations or scheduling concerns. It will also facilitate the testing of high current superconducting samples. Superconducting cables are extremely energy dense and will be capable of delivering enormous levels of current in a small surface area, up to 10 GW in a single cable vs a 1 GW limit in conventional electricity transmission cables, and will be applied to the connection of large scale renewable projects and interconnections between national grids. SuperNode now has sufficient power at its research centre to run the requisite high-power testing on superconducting samples.
Complementing the power upgrade, SuperNode implemented a suite of innovative measures to optimise power management and reduce environmental impact. These measures include the designing of SuperNode’s technical labs with cutting-edge HVAC systems boasting efficient heat exchanger technology. This choice not only minimises power consumption but also significantly reduces the organisation’s carbon footprint.
SuperNode has also installed 50 kWp of solar panels, designed for possible expansion. To date in August 2023, the solar system has provided ~50% of SuperNode’s electrical power requirements. This has also facilitated the ability for the ECCS to feed excess solar power back into the grid, reducing Ireland’s fossil fuel usage and aiding in the achievement of climate goals.
SuperNode is looking to be a leader in driving the renewable energy transition not just with the development of our superconducting transmission technology but also in the day-to-day operation of the business. SuperNode are delighted to have partnered with ESB Networks in this endeavour.