Munich municipal utilities and NKT advance world’s longest superconducting project “SuperLink”
Munich, Germany – When it comes to energy transmission, near-lossless superconducting power transmission represents the ultimate goal. Munich municipal utilities (SWM) and the globally active cable manufacturer NKT have signed a letter of intent to continue their successful cooperation on the superconducting cable project “SuperLink.”
Electricity: Why superconductivity in Munich’s urban area
The plan is to use superconductivity for electricity transmission within the Munich city area. According to current plans, the project could become the world’s longest superconducting high-voltage power connection, with a length of up to 15 kilometers.
The system is intended to operate at the 110-kilovolt level and transmit up to 500 megawatts of power. A connection is planned between the Menzing main substation and the southern energy site in Sendling, or along a comparable route. A prototype has already been successfully tested in a pilot project in Munich.
The core technology is a high-temperature superconductor. The cable system requires significantly less space than conventional high-voltage lines: according to SWM, one superconducting cable can replace up to five conventional cables. In addition, no electromagnetic fields are generated.
According to the project partners, the technology is particularly suitable for densely built urban areas where electricity demand is rising and space for new transmission lines is limited. Its compact design could significantly reduce excavation work and disruption to streets.
About the research project on superconducting power transmission
In addition to SWM and NKT, the research project also involves the industrial gases company Linde, the superconductor manufacturer THEVA, the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The project is funded via Projektträger Jülich on behalf of the German federal government.
SWM and NKT now intend to continue negotiations and conclude a binding contract. If the project is implemented, Munich could become an international pioneer in the use of superconducting high-voltage cables.
Power transmission: international status and trend in superconductivity
Superconducting high-voltage cables are considered a promising technology worldwide for densely populated urban areas with rising electricity demand and limited space for new transmission lines. Pilot plants and demonstration projects exist in Germany, Denmark, the USA, South Korea, and Japan. However, most are currently limited to much shorter distances of a few hundred meters to several kilometers.
For operation, superconducting cables are cooled with liquid nitrogen to around minus 200 degrees Celsius. This almost completely eliminates electrical resistance. Compared to conventional copper cables, they can transmit three to six times more electricity, depending on the design, while requiring significantly less space.
Especially in densely built cities, interest in this technology is therefore growing. It can help relieve existing grid bottlenecks, meet rising electricity demand from e-mobility, heat pumps, and digitalization, and at the same time reduce excavation work. With the planned 15-kilometer “SuperLink,” Munich would move from a research project to a globally unique real-world application in live grid operation.
Source: IWR Online, 16 Apr 2026
