A transformative technology
Global challenges such as climate change, energy security, critical material demand, and healthcare innovation are converging—creating an urgent need for transformative solutions. High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) technology is poised to deliver breakthroughs in performance, efficiency, and accessibility across a wide range of industries, helping to address these challenges and accelerate the electric revolution.
Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with zero resistance when cooled below their critical temperature, enabling the transport of high current densities with minimal power loss. Compared to traditional conductors like copper, superconductors offer higher current densities, improved efficiency, and reduced dependence on critical metals.
High temperature superconductors – such as REBCO (Rare Earth Barium Copper Oxide) – operate at significantly higher temperatures (20–77 Kelvin) compared to conventional Low Temperature Superconductors (LTS), which require cooling to 4 Kelvin. This eliminates the need for complex liquid helium cooling systems, making HTS over five times more energy efficient and vastly more practical for widespread use.
When engineered into magnets, HTS materials produce exceptionally strong and stable magnetic fields. HTS magnets are compact, lightweight, and powerful – unlocking new possibilities in industries from energy and transportation to analytical science.
HTS offers:
Zero resistance
- Conducts electricity with negligible power losses in real world applications
Higher current density
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Engineering current density exceeds 1000 amps/mm2, 160x the current density of copper
Higher magnetic fields
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Generates extremely strong and stable magnetic fields up to and beyond 30 Tesla
Higher temperature operation
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No requirement for liquid helium cooling infrastructure, greatly reducing operating costs
Compact, space-efficient applications
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High current density and simpler cooling enables compact, space efficient applications
Operation in high background fields
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Operation in background magnetic fields beyond 30 Tesla, much higher than LTS
Quench-safe
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Highly quench resistant, with minimum quench energy > 10,000x LTS equivalent
Minimal (almost none) share of rare earths
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Tiny amount of rare earths used, 99% less than in permanent magnets
HTS Markets
HTS technology marks a step-change in performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional materials, with the potential to revolutionise multiple industries. By enabling compact, lightweight systems, HTS meets the growing demand for high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable solutions. It offers a distinct competitive edge for early adopters across sectors including energy generation, power distribution, scientific research, healthcare, and transportation.
Fusion energy
HTS magnets enable the next generation of energy-producing, magnetically confined fusion devices, such as tokamaks and stellarators, which will play a vital role in the transition to a clean and secure energy future.
Science and medicine
HTS magnet technology will revolutionise performance and accessibility in physics research, materials analysis and medical diagnostics. It enables a new generation of compact, lightweight, and cost-effective Ultra-High Field (UHF) devices, such as magnetic resonance imaging, particle therapy for cancer treatments, and particle accelerators.
Power systems
HTS can significantly improve the efficiency and power density of electric motors and generators, enabling applications such as zero emissions electric flight and efficient, low maintenance wind turbines.
Power distribution
HTS facilitates efficient, compact power transmission systems for cities and data centres, eliminating power losses due to resistance, reducing cooling requirements from heat buildup and significantly reducing the amount of critical materials required.
Propulsion
HTS opens up new propulsion methods for land, water, air and space, including powerful, silent and efficient magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD) and fast, efficient magnetic levitation (maglev) transport systems.
Manufacturing
HTS magnet systems could significantly enhance yield, efficiency and performance for core manufacturing industries, including mineral separation, metals processing and hardware manufacturing.
