Abstract
In the last decade, hydrogen has emerged as a key enabler to reaching decarbonization goals worldwide. At the same time, superconducting cables have shown their reliability and economic viability in a variety of projects and utility installations. A hydrogen-cooled superconducting cable combines these two technologies and simultaneously transmits two energy vectors - electricity and hydrogen - in the same pipeline, in so-called bi-energy or dual transmission.
The EU-funded project SCARLET takes advantage of the high current capability of the superconductors to operate at medium voltage, while still maintaining gigawatt power levels.
A 500 MW superconducting cable system for bi-energy distribution at 25 kV and 20 kA with a liquid hydrogen (LH2) mass flow of 2-10 t/h is developed and will be demonstrated in the
project. To this end, all the cable elements such as voltage insulation, cooling machines, and cable accessories are currently optimized and validated for safe operation in LH2. The cable system will be assembled and type tested in 2026, which will be followed by 6 months of operation in the field in 2027.
This paper provides an up-to-date status of the key elements of this innovative demonstrator along with insights into the test site arrangement and testing strategies