Home

Overview, Objectives and Strategies

The High-Temperature Superconductivity Agreement enables the collaborative assessment of the impact of advances in high-temperature superconductivity on the electric power sector and the Agreement provides a forum for the exchange of information, perspectives and outlooks among its members. Advances in superconductivity are being achieved simultaneously in a number of countries and this programme enables Participants to share the cost of evaluating that progress. The Agreement started in 1990, and was most recently extended to 2010.

Priorities & Achievements

The programme concerns itself with assessing and evaluating the significance and promise of high temperature superconductors for the electric power sector and facilitating the consideration of same. Cooperation among the participants enables these considerations to be more informed, objective and thus more enlightening than considerations otherwise available at the national level.

The Programme stimulates consideration of issues of mutual interest by holding workshops and publishing reports (available to members only) and proceedings on specific topics including: Cables, Power Quality, Refrigeration for High-Temperature Superconductors, Magnetic Separations, High-Temperature Superconductor use in Generators and Motors, Progress towards Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage and Flywheel Energy Storage Using superconducting Bearings, Fault Current Limiters and Transformers.

The direct involvement of experts from the participating countries facilitates the achievement of consistency in the reporting and evaluation of progress in the various fields under consideration. This reporting also benefits from Peer Review within member countries.

Dissemination

The Agreement brings together government and university researchers, equipment manufacturers and utility end-users to address common interests. Participants guide the assessments carried out under the agreement, sponsor workshops, exchange information and introduce their research facilities to other participants. Proceedings of the various workshops are published, as are the technology assessments, which are available to members of the this agreement. A list of the agreement’s publications will appear after clicking on the following link: List of publications

Also available are two briefing documents for policy makers, senior managers, and their staff which may be down loaded by clicking on the following links:

Briefing documents for policy makers, senior managers, and their staff

HTS Fact Sheet (2 pages)

Sketches the whole field, emphasizing potential.

HTS Fact Sheet_A4.pdf HTS Fact Sheet_Ltr.pdf

IEA report to for G8 “Empowering Variable Renewables,Options
for Flexible Electricity System” (35 pages)

Cites Superconducting Fault Current Limiters as a way to increase grid flexibility
to accommodate renewables.

G8 2008 Empowering_Variable_Renewables.pdf

Links to others working to advance the application of HTS

The Implementing Agreement is pleased to acknowledge the cooperation of many of the organizations furthering progress toward applications of high temperature superconductivity. An introduction to their efforts and activities can be found via the URLs that are accessible by clicking here. The Agreement also presents a Featured Link to draw attention to recent advances that deserve attention from the broad community.

Character of Collaboration

Participants share the costs of funding an Operating Agent which prepares reports on topics of mutual interest, as well as maintaining the directory and synthesizing the assessments provided by the Participants. The Participants also contribute to the work of the Operating Agent by determining priorities and contributing their knowledge to reports. Workshops on specific topics are organised to progress the understanding of issues and, where appropriate, to develop collaborative research projects. Utility groups such as ELFORSK and manufacturers such as NEXANS and Siemens, as well
as government research laboratories and universities represent their nations in the activities of the Programme. Further, firms and other institutions within each member nation have been generous with their help.

Participants

There are Contracting Parties from 12 countries: Canada, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The members may be contacted for further information.

Contacts in participating countries

For further information about this Implementing Agreement

Dr. Alan M. Wolsky

Operating Agent

IEA Implementing Agreement on High-Temperature Superconductivity

Visiting IRC on Superconductivity

Madingly Road

Cambridge University

Cambridge CB1 0HE

United Kingdom

Office phone: +44 (0)1223 3 37441

Mobile phone: +44 (0)7726 1 17709