American Superconductor Corporation just announced that it has received $12 million in funding from the US Department of Energy. The funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will fund smart-grid related projects. Here’s a breakdown:
$4.8 million to wrap up development of a three-phase 138 kilovolt (kV) fault current limiter (FCL) using the company’s 344 superconductors and low-inductance coil technology developed by Siemens.
$7.6 million to help complete phase II of AMSC’s superconductor power cable project for Long Island Power Authority.
In a company press release, executives from the Long Island Power Authority and AMSC commented on the news:
“The Long Island Power Authority, the first utility in the world to commission an HTS power transmission cable system, commends the Department of Energy for funding Phase II of this critical project, which will allow us to expand the existing transmission line demonstration project to connect between two major substations on Long Island,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. “Superconducting cables are a key ingredient in advancing smart grid technology that will help us fulfill our objective of continuing to provide safe, reliable, and efficient service to our customers. This award is the next step in demonstrating the value of superconductivity and we look forward to our continued work with American Superconductor and DOE on this important project.”
“The Obama Administration has placed a high priority on smart grid technologies that enhance the efficiency and resiliency of our expanding power infrastructure,” said Dan McGahn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AMSC Superconductors. “This bodes well for the superconductor industry in general and American Superconductor in particular. Our DOE-funded programs will enable us to once again demonstrate the compelling power density and security advantages afforded by superconductor power cables and fault current limiters. We expect there will be a substantial global market opportunity for these smart grid technologies in the next decade.”
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