The technical and economic feasibility of superconducting power transmission: A case study

The long-range plans of the Long Island Lighting Company include the installation of 4600 MW of generation capacity at nuclear sites on eastern Long Island by the 1990's. A single site, Shoreham, was chosen for this study which would require transmission facilities to the Ruland Road substation, 43 miles away. Conventional 345 kV overhead and underground circuits are planned for this service. For the case study three superconducting cable schemes have been investigated which reflect various technical options. The superconducting cables have been designed to meet acceptable normal and contingency load flow conditions and to withstand maximum short circuit faults. A cost analysis has been made of the complete installation, providing a valuable comparison of the estimated cost of this new technology with conventional methods. The most favorable cost comparison is a two-circuit 345 kV superconducting system, which appears to be about one-half the cost of an all underground 345 kV high pressure oil-filled cable system. No reactive compensation will be required for the superconducting system, whereas extensive compensation is required for HPOF cables over the same distance. The cost estimate for the two-circuit superconducting system is about twice that of 345 kV overhead transmission, which would consist of two double circuits and one single circuit, assuming right-of-way could be obtained.