First operation experiences from a 30 kV, 104 MVA HTS power cable installed in a utility substation

An HTS cable with a voltage rating of 30 kV and a power rating of 104 MVA, has been installed and operated in the electric grid of Copenhagen Energy in the spring of 2001. This article describes the development phases, the system specifications, and the first experiences of operation under realistic conditions in the substation of Amager (AMK). Approximately 50 000 private and business customers are supplied from this cable. The load can be adjusted from 20% to 100% of the power supplied and the number of branches connected can be altered. This and other early HTS power installations are expected to act as ice-breakers for the HTS technology.