PM's Science Prize recognises HTS potential

Given this Government’s focus on realising economic gain from the efforts of New Zealand science, it is perhaps not surprising that their efforts have been recognised in this new high profile award.

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductors in the late 1980s the technology has been heralded as having the potential to have as much impact on the electricity industry as the development of fibre optics had on the communications industry.

Unlike copper, which loses around 10 per cent of electricity during transmission, superconductors transmit DC electricity with zero loss and AC electricity with extremely low loss and thus  are much more efficient in transmission.  Before the late 1980s superconductivity had only been observed in materials that were cooled down to  269 degrees Celsius, using liquid helium. However, the scarcity and cost of liquid helium, and the complexity of refrigeration systems limited the potential for widespread commercial application of the technology.

Enter Drs Buckley and Tallon, who were among the first scientists in the world to discover new HTS^[?] materials. Shortly after their discovery, the pair patented two ceramic compounds that would superconduct at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (-196 Celsius). The availability and much lower cost of nitrogen suggested these new high temperature superconductors (HTS) may be able to fulfil the potential that their earlier, low temperature equivalents never fully realised.

Twenty years on, HTS is beginning to gain momentum and thanks to the work of Drs Buckley and Tallon, and a dedicated team of colleagues at IRL and partner organisations, New Zealand is at the crest of a wave of a new technology which is predicted to serve a potential global market that will be counted in the billions of dollars in the 2020s.

HTS technology can be applied to electric power systems– including cables, motors, generators and transformers. The strong magnetic fields created by the technology are used in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI^[?]) medical imaging machines and in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR^[?]) machines that analyse chemical compositions. HTS machines are lighter, smaller and more efficient than those using conventional technology.

Kudos must also go to the successive governments through the 1990s and the current government which have supported the development of HTS through investment via the Foundation for Research Science and Technology.

HTS has not during this time been without its critics. For some, twenty years seems a long time to be investing in a technology. However,  it has in fact developed much faster than others.

The science behind fibre-optic cables began development in the early 20th century but its first commercial application wasn’t until 1975. In the pharmaceutical industry drug candidates routinely take more than 20 years to be developed and tested for safety and efficacy and a large percentage of these are abandoned because they don’t meet the required standards.

Given that HTS was only discovered in 1986 and the first commercial sales from New Zealand-based HTS technology were made in 2004, it has in fact developed at a very respectable pace.

The New Zealand HTS Industry Association has estimated that the industry is already beyond the point where the public sector investment will be repaid by future GDP growth – even on quite modest assumptions about industry growth.

So not only has this investment effectively been paid back in terms of HTS’ contribution to the economy, it has positioned New Zealand at the forefront of a new industry that is set to revolutionise the way electricity is used and distributed.

However, New Zealand’s role in its global adoption is far from guaranteed. The disadvantage inherent in being a distant, small economy with limited capital markets means that we will need to re-double our efforts to stay at the forefront of HTS development and deployment around the world. 

To enable New Zealand to stay ahead of the pack, several formal business arrangements with global players like German engineering giant Siemens AG, American Superconductor Corporation and US based multi-national General Cable have been made. As HTS enters an extensive marketing phase over the next few years New Zealand companies and institutions involved will need to take an NZ Inc approach to maximise the potential returns to this country.

But none of this potential would exist if it wasn’t for the outstanding efforts of Drs Buckley and Tallon and the talented teams that support them. So congratulations to you both for helping New Zealand on to the crest of the HTS wave,  and for enabling the creation of a new high-tech, high-value industry based on world-beating Kiwi science. 

Shaun Coffey
Chief Executive