Monday, May 30, 2005

Energy

Mexico City to test superconducting substation with wire from American Superconductor

American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC), a Westborough-based maker of superconductor-based electricity products, has won an order for its first-generation (1G) high-temperature superconductor (HTS) wire from Condumex, the largest wire and cable manufacturer in Mexico, to be used in the manufacture and installation of an HTS power cable system in a Mexico City electrical substation.

One-third of the project is to be funded by the government of Mexico. No details of the funding or the value of the order for AMSC were disclosed.

The alternating current (AC) power distribution cable system is designed to transmit 47 megawatts (MW) of power. The Condumex HTS cable system will comprise three. 109-feet-long warm dielectric cables and will use about 6 miles of HTS wire, according to the company. The three cables are capable of handling the power flow of nine similar-sized copper cables - providing an economical means to eliminate power bottlenecks, according to AMSC.

Condumex expects the cable system to be installed and operating in a Mexico City substation next year.

American Superconductor stock was trading at press time at $8.90, up five cents from its close yesterday.