Subscribe now

Environment

Are superconducting power lines the key to a cleaner grid?

High-temperature superconducting cables that could transform the power grid may be increasingly viable, thanks to a side effect of fusion energy research and new ways to cool the wires

By James Dinneen

24 September 2024

Conventional high-voltage transmission lines lose a portion of the electric energy as heat

Limbofu/Shutterstock

The following is an extract from our climate newsletter Fix the Planet. Sign up to receive it for free in your inbox every month.

Last year, researchers in South Korea made a splash after claiming to have discovered a room-temperature superconductor that they called LK99. One reason for the excitement was that such a material could enable ultra-efficient power lines, helping distribute the gigawatts of clean electricity now coming online while minimising the amount of new infrastructure needed.

LK99 proved to be a flop, and…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop