OREANDA-NEWS. February 27, 2012. The Russian Superconductor (managed by Science and Innovations company) and the German firm Bruker HTS on ROSATOM’s premises signed an agreement concerning the purchase of a technology for manufacture of high-temperature band-type superconductors of the second generation (HTBS-2).

Russia is one of the world leaders in manufacture of low-temperature superconductors while there is a 10-year backlog in the segment of high-temperature superconductors due to a lack of financing. Therefore, a decision has been made to buy a ready-for-use technology from the German firm.

The use of high-temperature superconductors will help to reduce losses at electricity transmission by several times and reduce sizes of the equipment without a loss of power. A pilot commercial installation is capable of making sections of superconducting strands of up to 100 meters in length. Subsequently, prototypes of devices featuring unique properties will be made of them.

“The main advantage of high-temperature superconductors is cost reduction. By 2015-2016 a specific cost of band-type HTS will be comparable to that of copper wires, they will be easier to obtain to make electric motors, current limiters and transformers,” project leader Victor Pantsyrny noted.

Under the agreement the German partners are to produce, supply and install a complete pilot line for superconductors production. In addition, the German colleagues undertake to educate and train the staff in operation of the line. The line will be installed in NRC Kurchatov Institute.
 
The project is implemented in the framework of the Presidential Commission for Modernization and Technological Development of the Russian Economy under the priority heading “Energy Efficiency.”