Taihan Cable & Solution (CEO: Jongmin Song) and Irish superconducting cable company SuperNode, announced on the 18th June that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to jointly develop the next generation of superconducting cable technologies.
The partnership will include development of high-performance superconducting cables through collaboration on design and manufacturing while improving efficiency and ease of installation compared to the first generation of superconducting cables.
The signing ceremony took place in London, UK, attended by over 20 key figures, including SuperNode CEO John Fitzgerald, CTO Andrew Carlisle, Taihan Vice Chairman Jongmin Song, and Executive Director of Global Energy Business Jeongse Nam.
Taihan Vice Chairman Jongmin Song said: “We will lead the global power grid industry through advanced technological capabilities.”
SuperNode CEO John Fitzgerald said: “Together we will accelerate the realisation of high capacity cables to enable electrification – from renewables to the data centres of tomorrow.”
The memorandum was signed to form a strategic partnership aimed at jointly developing advanced superconducting cables. Both companies plan to build a collaborative framework encompassing design, manufacturing, and materials, and to strengthen their technical competitiveness through broad mutual exchange, including the sharing of cable technologies. They also intend to explore joint participation in future superconducting cable projects.
Taihan Vice Chairman Song said, “We expect this partnership to greatly enhance our competitiveness in the superconducting field by combining Taihan’s cable manufacturing expertise with SuperNode’s advanced design capabilities. Through further development of our technical strengths, Taihan will continue to lead the growth of the global superconducting cable industry.”
SuperNode Chief Executive Officer Fitzgerald said, “I am delighted for SuperNode to partner with Taihan to prepare for large-scale manufacturing of our next generation of superconducting cable technology. Taihan adds more than 80 years of experience, relentless commitment to innovation and excellence in manufacturing to this exciting, new partnership.”
Superconducting cables utilize superconducting wire materials that, unlike copper, exhibit zero electrical resistance below a certain temperature. They offer significantly higher transmission efficiency, consume far less material and need less space compared to conventional copper and aluminium cables. While traditional cables require increased voltage to transmit high power, superconducting cables can transmit large volumes even at low voltages, making them a key technology for future distribution and transmission power grids and large energy users.
Taihan Cable & Solution Co., Ltd. (Korean: 대한전선 주식회사) is a Korean corporation known for manufacturing electric wire and stainless steel products for electricity and communication. It was established in 1941 as the first wire and cable company in Korea and is listed on the Korean Stock Exchange.
SuperNode, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, specialises in developing superconducting cable systems for electricity distribution, transmission and industrial applications such as data centres. It holds a proprietary cable design technology that dramatically improves efficiency and installation ease over conventional superconducting cables. By replacing traditional stainless corrugated sheaths with polymer-based advanced materials, SuperNode’s technology reduces cooling losses and increases the distance between cooling stations by more than fivefold—significantly enhancing operational efficiency and cost.
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