American Superconductor snaps up $12M for smart grid projects

Devens, Mass.-based American Superconductor (Nasdaq: AMSC) said today it received more than $12 million in stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Energy for two projects that build on the company's superconductor technology.

The first award of $4.8 million is expected to help AMSC develop a three-phase 138-kilovolt fault current limiter (FCL) using the company’s second-generation high temperature superconductor wire, branded as 344 superconductors. The FCL is part of a project that is receiving $8 million from the DOE, and includes Southern California Edison, Siemens, Nexans and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

AMSC is managing the project and supplying the wire, which is expected to include low-inductance coil technology developed by Siemens that makes the FCL invisible to the grid until it switches to a resistive state.

The second award to AMSC of $7.6 million is to fund the second phase of the company's superconductor power cable project with Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) (see DOE invests $52M in U.S. grid modernization).

AMSC first provided a superconductor cable system commissioned in LIPA’s grid in April 2008, but the second phase is expected to expand the existing transmission line demonstration project to connect between two major substations on Long Island (see Superconductor cable gets energized on Long Island). The overall project is receiving more than $12 million in new funds from the DOE.

AMSC plans to extend the transmission voltage of the superconductor cable system by using its second-generation 344 superconductors high-temperature superconductor wire. Nexans plans to manufacture the cable, while Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. is providing the cryogenics system.

The awards were part of a $47 million stimulus package for smart grid demonstration projects.

American Superconductor is also leading Project Hydra in New York City, which is designed to protect the grid from severe weather, accidents or terrorist attacks (see AMSC ships superconductor wire for Project Hydra).

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