Distribution network operators (DNOs) across the world need to upgrade and expand their urban networks to support the transition to electrification and decarbonisation. They have to handle increased loads and the integration of new distributed and often volatile generation resources while maintaining the highest possible reliability and continuity of service. Yet while the urgent need for grid renewal is well recognised, there is often significant resistance from planning authorities, and the public they serve, to grant the essential rights of way for new overhead lines or underground cables. This has become a key driver for innovations that can increase the capacity and flexibility of power infrastructure. A technology that shows particular promise is high-capacity, underground superconductor cables based on HTS (High Temperature Superconductor) materials. Discovered in the late 1980s, these materials acquire their superconducting properties at a much higher 'critical temperature' than conventional superconductors. That means they need only to be cooled to around -180°C. which can be achieved using liquid nitrogen, a cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly cooling liquid.
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