Demonstration tests of a 320-kV-class DC superconducting cable for transmission of high powers

Best Paths, the largest research project in the field of energy financed under the European Union's 7th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration, explored new avenues for delivering reliable power in Europe through the large-scale integration of renewable energy. The project ended in September 2018, having united 38 partners from 11 countries around five large-scale demonstrations to validate the technical feasibility, costs, impacts and benefits of various grid technologies [1]. One of these five demonstration areas focused on validating high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) superconducting links capable of transporting large amounts of electricity — on the multi-gigawatt scale [2].