Korea to put up 22.9 kilovolt power cable system

LS Cable Ltd. has ordered approximately 80,000 meters of 344 superconductors from American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) to be used in manufacturing a 22.9 kilovolt (kV) cable system set to be installed in the commercial power delivery network of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

The 344 superconductors, AMSC’s proprietary brand of second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire, will be delivered by AMSC to LS Cable by year-end. The superconductor cable system that will subsequently be manufactured will be nearly a half mile long and is capable of carrying 50 megawatts of power. It will be the world’s longest distribution-voltage superconductor cable system, coming from the single largest commercial order for 2G HTS wire in the world. The power cable system is scheduled to be installed by the middle of 2010 near the city of Seoul.

"This commercial wire order is a significant step forward for the superconductor industry," said Dan McGahn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AMSC Superconductors. "In addition to being the largest order of its kind, our 344 superconductors will power the first superconductor cable to be installed in a commercial grid outside of the U.S. We see compelling growth opportunities for our superconductor business in Korea, and we are delighted to be working with industry leaders LS Cable and KEPCO on this important project."

Joon Hyung Cho, Executive Vice President of LS Cable's Technology Development Group, said, "With the ability to carry vast amounts of electricity in a small right of way, superconductor power cables will play a pivotal role in powering cities in Korea and around the world in the 21st Century." KEPCO Chief Executive Officer Kim Ssang-Su shared the same view and said, "We see great promise for superconductor cable technology and look forward to energizing this first system."

Added Joon Hyung Cho, "We have chosen to work with AMSC on this landmark cable project based on the company’s two decades of superconductor leadership, its contributions to LS Cable’s past superconductor cable demonstrations and the strength of its new 344 superconductors. We see a billion-dollar opportunity for superconductor cable technology and believe our alliance with AMSC and KEPCO establishes a market leadership position for LS Cable."

Founded in 1962 and based in Anyang, South Korea, LS Cable is Korea’s largest power cable manufacturer with 17 subsidiaries and 40 operations in 17 countries.